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THE  TECHNIQUE 
OF  PAGEANTRY 


BY 

LINWOOD  TAFT,  Ph.D. 

Chairman  Department  of  Pageants  and  Festivals 

FOR  The  Drama  League  of  America 

Director  American  Pageant  Association 


WITH  FRONTISPIECE 


■     i       J  J 


NEW  YORK 

A.  S.  BARNES  AND  COMPANY 

1921 

^  '\  ^\  Q  i^ 


Copyright,  192 i,  by 
A.  S.  BARNES  AND  COMPANY 


First  published  in  a  very  much  abridged  form  in  the 
July- August -September,  1920,  number  of  The  Drama 
magazine.  Here  revised  and  expanded  through  the 
courtesy  of  the  editors  of  The  Drama. 


.  •  •:    •,•  ••:  ••: :.:  •  •  •-  •  • 
-.;    . ...  ..-  . •  •.  •    :• .  • 


•  . • .   ••■ 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DEDICATED 
TO  THE  MEMORY  OF 

Ifonora  e.  Caft,  91.^.,  9l.iH. 

INDOMITABLE  SUPPORTER  OF  JUSTICE 
AND  EQUALITY  FOR  ALL 


5^  PREFACE 

^       Through  experience  in  directing  pageants  in  about  twenty- 
five  different  cities  and  towns  of  the  United  States  the  author 
has  come  to  the  conclusion  that  pageantry  is  the  most  appro- 
priate medium  of  expression  of  a  particular  phase  of  com- 
^       munity  life.    He  offers  this  volume  as  a  contribution  towards 
y^       building  up   and   extending   community  interests,   with   the 
^       hope  that  it  may  be  of  value  to  those  communities  that  are 
^Ui     seeking  some  worthy  expression  of  the  life  of  their  com- 
munities through  the  celebration  of  anniversaries  of  which 
they  are  proud  and  which  they  wish  to  commemorate. 
i  The  experience  upon  which  this  boolc  is  based  has  been 

>  gained  through  association  with  many  different  persons  all 
working  unselfishly  for  the  advancement  of  some  particular 
community.  Their  co-operation  and  assistance  have  made 
possible  whatever  of  success  has  crowned  the  efforts  of  the 
author.  Suitable  recognition  of  all  of  them  is  not  possible. 
Grateful  acknowledgment  is  here  made  to  those  most  closely 
k}  associated  with  the  author  in  producing  different*  pageants: 
Mrs.  F.  W.  Flower,  Mr.  Henry  O.  Gilmer,  Miss  Mary  L. 
Klingner,  Mrs.  C.  A.  McCanse,  Dr.  F.  Louise  Nardin, 
Savannah  Festival  Association,  Mr.  Ralph  K.  Watklns, 
Miss  Gladys  M.  Wheat. 


CONTENTS 

PART  I 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  The  Introduction i 

II.  The  Organization lo 

Pageant  Chairman.  Pageant  Committee.     Pageant  Master. 

Business  Manager.  Pageant  Artist.     Costumer.      Musical 

Director.       Scenic  Manager.       Electrician.       Advertising 

Manager.     Episode  Director. 

~  III.  The  Book 40 

Title.  Author.  Language  of  the  Book.  Content.  Style. 
Sale  of  the  Books.     Editing.     Need  for  the  Book. 

IV.  The  Music 55 

Function.  Standard  and  Original  Composition.  Arrang- 
ing the  Music.  The  Pageant  Orchestra.  Placing  the 
Orchestra.  Orchestral  Difficulties.  Pageant  Songs.  En- 
trance and  Exit  Music. 

V.  The  Cast 65 

Selecting  the  Cast.  Appropriate  Casting  Character  Parts. 
Pageant  Acting.  Principal  Parts.  Central  Figures.  Epi- 
sode Casts.     Professional  Actors. 

VI.  The  Rehearsals yS 

Orchestra  Rehearsals.  Group  Rehearsals.  Full  Rehearsals. 
Dress  Rehearsals.  Inspections.  Full  Dress  Rehearsals. 
Group  Dress  Rehearsal.     General  Considerations. 

VII.  The  Performance 92 

Makeup.  Character  Makeup.  Final  Inspection.  Begin- 
ning the  Pageant.  Ushers.  Discipline.  Tempo.  Pageant 
Master  and  the  Performers.  Pageant  Finales.  Lost  and 
Found.     Number  of  Performances. 

vii 


viii  CONTENTS 

PART  II 

PAGE 

I.  A  Pageant  of  Thanksgiving 109 

Programme.     The  Book. 

II.  Historical  Festival  and  Pageant 139 

Descriptive    Programmes.       Savannah    a   Hundred    Years 
Ago.      A  Newspaper  Notice. 

III.  Programme  of  a  Patriotic  Pageant 163 

IV.  A  Newspaper  Notice 167 


THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 


PART  I 


I.  THE  INTRODUCTION 

Pageantry  has  become  so  familiar  to  the  people  of  the 
United  States  Avithin  the  last  few  years  that  no  detailed  ex- 
planation of  its  scope  and  aims  is  necessary.  It  may  be 
well,  however,  to  review  some  of  its  principal  aspects  for 
the  sake  of  those  who  have  had  no  intimate  personal  con- 
tact'with  the  organization  and  administration  of  a  pageant. 
The  organization  and  effective  administration  of  a  pageant 
that  is  to  be  worth  while  bear  the  same  relation  to  the  man- 
agement of  an  ordinary  dramatic  production  that  modern 
"big  business"  bears  to  the  limited  business  organizations 
to  be  found  in  the  third  quarter  of  the  last  century.  Such 
an  organization  cannot  be  perfected  overnight.  It  must 
be  the  result  of  careful  planning  and  the  wise  selection  of 
personnel. 

The  matter  of  the  number  of  people  in  the  cast  points 
very  clearly  to  the  complicated  organization  necessary  to 
ensure  a  reasonably  correct  performance  that  shall  move 
forward  with  few  or  no  interruptions.  Aside  from  the 
matter  of  the  selection  of  these  persons  and  their  assign- 
ment to  definite  parts,  and  this  is  a  problem  of  considerable 
magnitude  in  a  pageant  using  hundreds  of  characters,  the 
mere  mechanical  arrangements  necessary  in  order  that  the 
entrances  and  exits  may  be  carried  out  as  planned  call  for 
an  elaborate  organization  of  directors  and  assistants  almost 
appalling  in  its  intricacy.  Add  to  this  the  successful  opera- 
tion of  all  the  other  details  that  go  with  the  presentation 


2     THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

of  a  successful  pageant  performance  and  something  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  undertaking  may  be  understood.  Taking 
care  of  hundreds  of  characters  when  they  are  not  on  the 
stage  is  enough  to  tax  the  ingenuity  of  even  an  experienced 
director.  With  a  community  thoughtfully  and  completely 
organized  these  many  details  are,  however,  taken  care  of 
more  or  less  automatically  and  the  burden  which  falls  upon 
any  Individual  is  relatively  slight.  The  chapters  which  fol- 
low attempt  to  give  the  essential  points  in  the  organization 
of  a  community  in  such  a  manner  that  a  smoothly  running 
machine  results,  a  machine  that  makes  practically  certain 
a  successful  production  which  shows  no  sign  of  the  machin- 
ery existing  behind  the  production. 

A  pageant  is  much  wider  in  its  scope  than  is  an  ordi- 
nary dramatic  performance.  It  may  present  in  a  broad 
sketchy  manner  events  widely  separated  in  time  so  long  as 
they  are  closely  related  in  character  or  in  the  ideals  ex- 
pressed. One's  sense  of  the  fitness  of  things  Is  not  offended 
although  the  whole  range  of  the  history  of  the  world  is 
included  In  the  action  of  a  pageant  so  long  as  all  of  the 
episodes  contribute  to  the  idea  which  the  pageant  seeks  to 
express.  The  pageant  Is  not  bound  by  the  traditional  unities 
of  the  drama  yet  it  must  have  some  continuity  of  action 
or  emotion  to  hold  the  various  parts  together.  A  mere 
collection  of  historical  episodes  cannot  correctly  be  called  a 
pageant  unless  they  all  express  the  same  idea  or  all  con- 
tribute to  the  building  up  of  a  central  Idea.  Unity  of  Idea 
is  the  only  unity  the  preservation  of  which  Is  essential  In 
pageantry.  Freedom  from  the  restraints  of  time  and  place 
allows  nearly  unlimited  scope  in  the  selection  of  material 
for  pageant  episodes.  In  fact  the  more  widely  separated  in 
point  of  time  and  place  the  episodes  arc  the  more  effective 
they  are  apt  to  be  from  the  standpoint  ol  the  spectacular. 

The  acting  of  a  pageant  is  more  formal,  impression- 
istic, and  lacking  in  detailed  delineation  ol  character  than  is 
the  acting  of  the  drama.  The  staging  of  a  pageant  Is,  how- 
ever, much  less  formal  than  the  staging  of  a  play.     Much 


THE   INTRODUCTION  3 

of  the  action  of  a  pageant  may  and  probably  will  take  place 
on  the  stage  but  on  the  other  hand  a  considerable  portion  of 
it  may  take  place  in  the  aisles  and  other  open  spaces  within 
the  view  of  the  audience.  In  the  most  effective  form  of 
pageantry  the  entire  audience  is  made  to  feel  itself  a  part  of 
the  pageant  and  hence  the  stage  in  reality  includes  all  of 
the  space  within  the  building  or,  if  the  pageant  be  given  out 
of  doors,  all  the  space  near  the  formal  stage.  In  other 
words  the  whole  pageant  space  is  considered  as  possible 
stage  space  and  utilized  as  such  as  occasion  warrants.  The 
stage  of  the  drama  is  confined  to  the  restricted  area  re- 
moved from  the  audience  by  all  the  conventional  appliances 
of  the  theater  created  to  foster  illusion  and  give  a  sharper 
perspective  to  the  stage  pictures. 

Instead  of  being  the  commercial  enterprise  of  an  indi- 
vidual or  a  small  group  of  people  as  is  the  regular  theater 
drama,  the  pageant  is,  or  should  be,  the  non-commercial, 
non-professional,  more  or  less  spontaneous  expression  of 
some  phase  of  the  life  of  a  community.  The  pageant  does 
not  aim  at  dramatic  perfection.  Its  very  life  would  be 
sacrificed  in  the  effort  to  gain  such  dramatic  perfection.  The 
spontaneous  and  the  community  aspects  are  the  vital  ones  in 
pageantry.  Any  sacrifice  of  either,  whether  it  be  by  the 
employment  of  professional  actors  or  by  limiting  the  organ- 
ization to  a  small  group,  destroys  to  that  extent  the  real 
nature,  and  hence  the  possibility  for  service,  of  the  pageant. 
To  be  spontaneous  it  must  be  as  natural  and  unstudied  as 
possible.  To  be  a  real  community  enterprise  it  must  involve 
all  of  the  institutions  and  interests  of  the  community.  The 
former  may  be  secured  by  allowing  the  members  of  each 
episode  group  to  work  out  in  their  own  way  the  expression 
of  the  message  of  their  episode  as  they  understand  it.  The 
latter  may  be  assured  by  selecting  the  episode  directors,  not 
only  for  their  executive  ability,  which  is  of  primary  impor- 
tance, but  also  because  they  will  be  able  to  bring  into  the 
pageant  organization  institutions  or  groups  of  people  not 
otherwise  to  be  interested. 


4     THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

No  individual,  ©r  group  of  individuals,  expects  to  profit 
financially  from  a  pageant.  In  this  sense  it  is  not  a  com- 
mercial enterprise  as  is  the  drama  in  the  regular  theater. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  very  few  pageants  are  a  success  finan- 
cially because  of  the  very  great  expense  involved  in  such 
productions.  One  produced  several  times  in  and  near  New 
York  recently  is  reported  as  having  netted  a  very  large  sum 
for  charitable  purposes  but  in  this  case  the  expenses  were 
practically  all  taken  care  of  by  persons  interested  in  the 
charity  and  hence  the  gross  receipts  and  the  net  receipts  were 
very  nearly  the  same.  One  given  in  St.  Louis  in  the  summer 
of  191 8  for  the  benefit  of  various  war  activities  resulted  in 
a  rather  large  deficit.  The  Savannah  Centennial  Pageant 
of  April,  19 1 9,  resulted  in  a  net  profit  of  a  few  hundred 
dollars.  Although  the  patriotic  pageant  given  in  the  smaller 
cities  and  towns  of  Missouri  under  the  direction  of  the 
Woman's  Committee  of  the  Missouri  Division,  Council  of 
National  Defense,  1917-1918,  was  not  primarily  intended  as 
a  source  of  profit  yet  it  did  yield  many  thousands  of  dollars 
to  the  Red  Cross  and  to  the  Council  of  Defense  over  and 
above  all  expenses.  This  work  was  done  under  circum- 
stances favorable  for  the  making  of  money  and  the  expendi- 
tures were  very  carefully  supervised.  As  a  matter  of  fact 
financial  gain  should  not  be  a  primary  motive  in  the  presenta- 
tion of  a  pageant.  The  main  purpose  of  a  pageant,  correctly 
so  called,  should  be  the  worthy  expression  of  some  phase 
of  community  life  and  the  financial  aspect  of  such  a  per- 
formance should  be  considered  only  as  a  secondary  matter. 

In  much  the  same  way  the  acting  of  a  pageant  should  be 
non-professional  rather  than  professional.  Professional 
actors  will  guarantee  a  more  finished  production  il  it  be 
considered  from  the  standpoint  of  dramatic  excellence  alone, 
but,  as  before  stated,  dramatic  excellence  is  not  a  proper  aim 
of  pageantry  if  it  be  emphasized  at  the  expense  of  the  com- 
munity aspect.  Ihc  actors  should  be  members  of  the  com- 
munity and  should  have  the  intense  personal  interest  in  the 
events  which  the  jiageant  commemorates  that  cannot  usually 


THE   INTRODUCTION  5 

be  expected  from  professional  actors.  They  are  interested 
in  acting  for  its  own  sake.  Pageant  actors  should  be 
interested  in  that  particular  bit  of  acting  because  of  its 
significance  to  the  life  of  the  community.  For  this  reason 
resident  amateurs  give  a  much  more  satisfactory  and  con- 
vincing pageant  performance  than  even  the  most  skilled  of 
non-resident  professional  actors.  Pageantry  is  not  a  suitable 
medium  for  the  expression  of  the  art  of  the  trained  actor. 
His  proper  field  is  the  real  drama  with  its  possibilities  for 
the  portrayal  of  development  of  character.  Development 
of  character  has  very  little  part  in  the  construction  of 
pageants.  Each  episode  of  a  pageant  can,  and  should,  show 
only  one  significant  moment  in  the  life  of  any  one  individual 
or  group  of  individuals.  The  acting  of  the  pageant  is  static 
rather  than  dynamic,  hence  it  can  be  effectively  done  by  an 
untrained  person  of  the  type  demanded  by  the  character  of 
the  particular  episode  In  question. 

The  modern  pageant  is  the  direct  outgrowth  of  the  mys- 
tery play  of  the  later  middle  ages,  in  fact,  the  pageant  is 
still  defined  in  the  standard  dictionaries  as  a  mystery  play. 
With  this  in  mind  many  of  the  Inconsistencies  of  pageantry 
could  more  easily  be  avoided.  The  masque  features  so  often 
found  in  pageants  would  be  excluded,  much  If  not  all  of  the 
dialogue  that  portrays  the  development  of  character  would 
be  excluded,  and  much  of  the  Irrelevant  dancing,  excellent 
enough  In  itself  and  in  its  proper  place,  but  having  little  or 
no  relation  to  the  pageant,  would  also  have  to  be  omitted. 
There  is  no  desire  here  to  decry  forms  of  dramatic  inter- 
pretation not  intrinsically  related  to  pageantry.  There  Is, 
however,  a  very  definite  wish  to  distinguish  as  clearly  as 
possible  between  the  pageant  in  its  pure  form  and  the  hodge 
podge  of  dramatic  forms  often  dignified  by  the  term 
pageant.  The  mystery  play  dealt  with  events  outside  of  the 
experiences  of  human  life  in  its  human  relations.  It  con- 
cerned itself  with  those  rare  moments  of  human  experience 
when  existence  was  transformed  and  glorified  through  con- 
tact with  the  divine.     Its  story  was  the  story  of  some  part 


A 


6  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

of  the  life  of  Christ  but  that  story  in  its  relation  to  the  men 
and  women  who  saw  the  mystery.  It  was  an  attempt  to 
interpret  for  them  the  mystery  of  the  relation  between  God 
and  man.  Later  many  irrelevant  and  unworthy  elements  were 
inserted  in  order,  one  may  imagine,  to  popularize  the  appeal 
but  this  led  so  directly  to  the  exclusion  of  the  mystery  play 
from  the  church  service  and  even  from  the  church  premises 
that  a  very  definite  warning  to  moderns  is  implied. 

The  modern  pageant  does  not  deal  with  religious  matters 
as  often  as  with  historical  events.  At  the  same  time  the  sort 
of  event  that  makes  suitable  and  convincing  pageant  material 
is  the  unusual  event,  the  kind  of  thing  that  happens  only  in 
exalted  moments  when  men  are  inspired  by  lofty  and 
unselfish  motives.  Divine  relationship  is  accepted  as  an 
essential  part  of  such  events  without  question  and  without 
doubt. 

Let  us,  by  all  means,  have  as  many  and  as  varied 
dramatic  forms  as  is  possible.  It  would,  however,  seem 
the  part  of  wisdom  as  well  as  of  art  to  attempt  to  keep  these 
forms  fairly  distinct  and  not  to  bring  them  all  Into  disrepute 
through  an  unnatural  and  unnecessary  mixture,  regardless 
of  the  name  by  which  it  may  be  called. 

There  are  two  main  types  of  pageants.  There  is  the 
more  or  less  local  and  historical  pageant  such  as  is  given 
in  connection  with  centennial  celebrations,  and  there  is  the 
pageant  dealing  with  impersonal  forces  such  as  the  spirit  of 
thanksgiving  which  can,  nevertheless,  be  personified.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  the  latter  would  have  a  strongly  historical 
character,  but  the  history  involved  would  be  general  rather 
than  specific,  world  history  rather  than  local  history.  The 
first  type  of  pageant  would  be  suitable  only  for  the  particular 
place  for  which  it  was  written.  The  second  type  would  be 
appropriate  in  any  place  at  the  Thanksgiving  season. 

The  first  form  of  pageant  is  much  surer  and  more  direct 
in  its  appeal  but  is  limited  by  its  local  nature  and  its  strictly 
historical  character.  Its  history  must  be  authentic,  its  facts 
accurate.     7hc  second  form  has  no  such  direct  appeal  to 


THE  INTRODUCTION  7 

local  pride  but  because  of  its  general  character  it  allows 
much  wider  scope  in  the  selection  of  material  and  in  the 
artistic  handling  of  the  theme.  It  can  emphasize  the  artistic 
where  the  first  form  must  attend  primarily  to  accuracy  to 
well-established  and  well-known  facts.  The  historical 
pageant  has  the  greater  educational  value,  probably,  but  the 
aesthetic  possibilities  of  the  general  pageant  are  limited  only 
by  the  resources  of  the  group  presenting  it. 

The  first  type  of  pageant  is  illustrated  by  the  Savannah 
Centennial  Pageant  and  the  second  by  the  Pageant  of 
Thanksgiving,  both  included  in  this  volume  (Part  II).  The 
Savannah  pageant  dealt  with  the  founding  of  the  principal 
institutions  of  the  city  in  connection  with  the  sailing  of  the 
Savannah,  the  first  steamship  to  cross  the  ocean.  The  cen- 
tennial week  dealt  largely  with  the  sailing  of  the  Savannah. 
The  pageant  grouped  about  that  event  other  important 
events  of  the  decade.  The  Thanksgiving  pageant  had  to  do 
with  the  spirit  of  thanksgiving  as  exhibited  by  different 
nations  at  different  times  in  the  history  of  the  world. 
Although  given  in  Savannah,  Georgia,  it  would  appeal  to 
any  other  group  of  people  in  any  other  place  just  as  strongly. 
It  did  not  have  the  same  intense  appeal  to  local  pride  as  did 
the  other. 

The  first  question  to  be  settled  after  a  community  has 
decided  to  give  a  pageant  is  the  place  where  it  will  be  given. 
Upon  this  decision  depends  the  work  of  the  author  and  to 
some  extent  the  other  pageant  ofl'icers.  A  pageant  to  be 
presented  out  of  doors  requires  a  different  method  of  treat- 
ment and  administration  from  one  to  be  given  in  a  theater 
or  auditorium.  The  difference  is  In  reality  more  in  the 
distribution  of  the  work  than  in  the  nature  of  the  organiza- 
tion. The  scenic  manager  has  a  greater  task  in  arranging  an 
outdoor  stage  than  a  stage  in  a  theater.  At  the  same  time  he 
has  much  greater  opportunity  for  unusual  effects.  The  same 
thing  is  true  in  varying  degrees  with  all  pageant  ofiicers. 

An  Indoor  performance  Is  much  simpler  in  many  ways. 
The  seating  of  the  audience  is  already  taken  care  of  as  is 


8  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

the  matter  of  the  weather.  A  theater  is  not,  however,  a 
good  place  for  a  pageant.  Its  construction  is  wrong.  It  aims 
to  separate  the  audience  from  the  players  as  completely  as 
is  possible  within  a  space  small  enough  for  the  speaking  v^oice 
to  be  heard.  The  feeling  of  separation  is  the  last  thing  to 
be  desired  in  a  pageant.  A  pageant  audience  should  feel 
itself  an  integral  part  of  the  performance  and  this  is  not 
possible  with  the  restricted  construction  of  a  theater.  A 
theater  audience  feels  itself  entirely  apart  from  the  world  of 
the  stage,  a  world  where  things  are  usually  the  opposite  of 
what  they  seem  and  where  all  the  arts  and  devices  of  the 
theater  are  employed  to  make  things  appear  entirely  dif- 
ferent from  what  they  actually  are.  The  stage  world  Is  a 
world  of  illusion  in  so  far  as  the  audience  is  concerned.  In 
pageantry  the  audience  is  taken  entirely  into  the  confidence 
of  the  actors.  Instead  of  building  up  an  illusion  the  aim  is 
to  secure  a  feeling  of  sympathetic  participation  on  the  part 
of  the  audience.  For  this  reason  an  auditorium  with  broad 
aisles  and  easy  access  to  the  stage  is  the  best  kind  of  building 
for  a  pageant  that  must  be  giv^en  indoors.  The  great  advan- 
tage of  a  theater  building  is  the  facilities  for  lighting  effects. 
Since  these  or  similar  effects  may  be  secured  by  an  ingenious 
electrician  in  an  auditorium,  a  theater  building  would  be  con- 
sidered only  as  a  last  resort  in  producing  a  pageant. 

Theater  employees  are  more  completely  organized  than 
almost  any  other  group  of  workers.  In  renting  a  theater 
for  a  pageant  it  will  usually  be  necessary  to  employ  the  full 
force  of  employees  at  the  regular  rates,  whether  they  are 
needed  or  not,  in  order  to  get  the  use  of  the  building  and 
the  services  of  the  one  or  two  employees  that  are  needed.  It 
is  very  difficult  for  amateurs  to  work  with  professional 
theater  workers,  even  where  the  theater  force  will  consent  to 
work  with  them.  The  attitude  of  many  theater  electricians 
and  stage  hands  towards  amateur  performances  is  often  one 
of  supreme  contempt.  This  is  not  at  all  surprising  and  is  not 
particularly  to  their  discredit  when  one  stops  to  consider  the 
difference    in    the    aims   of   amateur   and    professional   per- 


THE   INTRODUCTION  9 

formances.  These  regular  theater  workers  Insist  on  doing 
things  in  the  conventional  theater  way  and  are  more  of  a 
liability  than  an  asset  when  special  effects  are  desired.  One 
cannot  blame  them  for  trying  to  protect  the  interests  of  their 
class,  since  that  seems  to  be  the  aim  of  all  classes  of  society 
to-day.  In  preparing  for  a  pageant  one  can,  however,  save 
a  great  amount  of  friction  and  considerable  unnecessary 
expense  by  using  a  building  other  than  a  regular  theater  or 
by  having  the  pageant  out  of  doors. 

Except  for  the  difficulty  of  seating  the  audience  and  for 
the  uncertainty  of  the  weather  every  argument  is  in  favor  of 
an  out-of-door  performance.  Unlimited  space  for  a  stage, 
long  avenues  of  approach  for  groups  of  characters,  the  pos- 
sibility of  using  large  groups  without  producing  the  effect  of 
crowding,  greater  ease  in  disposing  of  groups  when  off  the 
stage,  and  many  other  features  are  all  in  favor  of  the  out-of- 
door  pageant.  Then  there  is  an  emotional  appeal  to  a 
pageant  given  in  the  open  that  is  lacking  when  the  per- 
formance has  to  be  compressed  to  the  limitations  of  a 
building. 

In  a  final  analysis  the  climate  and  season  of  the  year 
must,  of  course,  be  the  determining  factors  in  settling  the 
question  of  whether  a  pageant  shall  be  given  in  the  open  or 
under  cover.  The  Savannah  Festival  Association  plans 
regularly  for  a  programme  of  approximately  an  hour  in  length 
for  its  community  Christmas  celebration.  The  celebration  is 
held  in  the  principal  park  of  the  city  and  the  climate  is  such 
that  people  seldom  experience  any  discomfort  from  cold 
while  standing  through  the  programme.  In  California,  during 
the  summer  months,  there  is  no  question  of  the  weather  inter- 
fering with  an  out-of-door  performance.  During  the  winter 
months  there  is  the  same  uncertainty  about  the  weather  in 
California  that  there  is  in  the  summer  in  New  England  and 
advertised  performances  must  often  be  postponed  until 
better  weather  arrives.  The  pageant  given  out  of  doors  is, 
however,  usually  much  more  effective  than  one  given  inside. 


II.  THE  ORGANIZATION 

Pageant  Chairman. — When  a  community,  or  any  group 
of  people  within  a  community,  decides  to  give  a  pageant  as 
a  fitting  expression  of  some  phase,  past  or  present,  of  the 
community  life  the  first  step  in  the  necessary  organization  is 
the  appointment,  or  election,  of  the  pageant  chairman.  A 
majority  vote  of  the  group  planning  to  giv^e  the  pageant  is 
probably  the  best  way  in  which  to  decide  upon  a  pageant 
chairman.  This  method  of  election  practically  ensures  a 
chairman  with  whom  a  majority  of  the  people  of  the  com- 
munity can  work  harmoniously.  The  pageant  chairman 
should  be  a  person  of  experience  in  handling  people,  who 
has  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  community,  and  who 
can  give  time  enough  to  the  pageant  to  secure  unity  of  organ- 
ization and  directness  of  execution. 

As  the  president  of  a  bank  has  general  control  of  the 
business  and  policy  of  the  bank  but  delegates  the  actual  doing 
of  the  business  and  the  carrying  out  of  the  policy  to  sub- 
ordinates, so  the  pageant  chairman  has  general  control  and 
direction  of  all  the  various  phases  of  the  pageant  but  leaves 
the  carrying  out  of  the  plans  to  other  pageant  ofiicers.  He 
should,  therefore,  help  select  all  pageant  officers  as  a  means 
of  obtaining  a  group  of  people  who  will  work  together  har- 
moniously. 

The  business  of  the  pageant  chairman  is  to  coordinate 
the  efforts  of  all  of  the  other  officers.  He  will  advise  with 
them  concerning  the  details  of  organization  and  methods 
of  carrying  out  the  policy  of  the  group  for  which  he  is 
acting.  In  many  cases  his  great  difficulty  is  maintaining 
peace  in  the  official  family;  the  prevention  of  injured  feelings 
and   the   soothing   of    feelings   that    have   been   hurt,    quite 

10 


THE  ORGANIZATION  u 

unintentionally  usually,  by  the  logical  working  of  so  complex 
an  organization.  This  personal  attitude  is  the  great 
stumbling  block  in  the  way  of  all  community  effort.  It  can- 
not always  be  avoided  but  it  can  be  minimized  if  from  the 
beginning  all  pageant  officers  show  plainly  that  they  are  not 
working  as  individuals  for  personal  advancement  but  as 
members  of  the  community  for  the  sake  of  the  community 
as  a  whole.  Such  an  attitude  on  the  part  of  pageant  officers 
is  sure  to  make  the  work  of  administering  the  pageant 
infinitely  easier  and  more  effective.  Members  of  the  various 
committees  and  of  the  cast  quickly  recognize  this  attitude  on 
the  part  of  the  officers  and  as  quickly  emulate  them.  This  is 
the  factor  that  makes  the  pageant  the  most  appropriate  form 
of  dramatic  expression  for  community  purposes  and  the  skill 
of  the  chairman  can  nowhere  be  better  employed  than  In 
supporting  and  extending  a  democratic,  unselfish  attitude  of 
working  with  the  group  for  the  good  of  the  whole. 

Each  pageant  officer  must,  of  course,  have  practically  final 
control  of  that  portion  of  the  pageant  work  that  rightly  falls 
within  his  province,  yet  the  chairman  must  have  veto  power 
over  the  decisions  of  even  the  chairmen  of  the  different  com- 
mittees. Lacking  this  unit  of  control  the  efforts  of  the 
different  committees  may  be  at  variance  and  the  results 
neutralized.  The  number  of  people  involved  in  a  pageant 
and  the  time  and  expense  necessary  to  a  successful  production 
make  it  imperative  that  the  organization  be  so  complete  that 
all  these  elements  will  be  conserved.  It  cannot  be  entirely 
complete  unless  the  chairman  has  final  authority  in  all  mat- 
ters relating  to  the  pageant.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  wise 
chairman  Avill  be  guided  in  large  measure  by  the  judgment  of 
the  majority  of  the  pageant  officers  in  any  matter  that  con- 
cerns the  production  as  a  whole  but  there  will  be  times  when 
it  is  not  possible  to  call  a  meeting  of  the  officers  even  when  it 
is  imperative  that  a  question  vital  to  the  success  of  the  pro- 
duction be  settled.  In  such  cases  the  pageant  chairman  must 
decide  by  himself,  keeping  always  In  mind  the  purpose  of  the 
group  which  he  represents.     The  community  aspect  of  the 


12  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

pageant  will  be  enlarged  or  restricted  according  to  the  ability 
of  the  pageant  chairman  in  selecting  the  members  of  the 
pageant  committee  and  in  selecting  through  them  the  other 
pageant  officers. 

Pageant  Committee. — The  pageant  chairman  should 
select  the  pageant  committee  consisting  of  two  or  four  other 
members.  A  larger  committee  may  be  desired  in  order  that 
the  major  interests  of  the  community  may  be  represented, 
but  since  the  minor  as  well  as  the  major  interests  may, 
through  wise  selection,  be  represented  through  the  other 
pageant  officers  this  point  is  not  vital  with  regard  to  the 
pageant  committee.  There  is  a  distinct  advantage  in  having 
a  small  committee  since  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  business 
may  be  conducted  more  expeditiously  with  a  small  committee 
than  with  a  large  one.  The  important  thing  in  selecting  the 
members  of  the  pageant  committee  is  securing  persons  who 
will  know  the  different  groups  and  elements  that  make  up  the 
community  and  who  will  also  know  of  individuals  within 
each  of  these  groups  who  will  be  dependable  in  carrying  out 
the  details  of  the  pageant.  These  Individuals  would,  of 
course,  be  selected  as  pageant  officers  or  as  chairmen  of  sub- 
committees. 

The  first  and  most  important  duty  of  the  pageant  com- 
mittee as  a  whole  is  the  appointment  or  election  of  the  other 
pageant  officers:  (a)  pageant  master;  (b)  business 
manager;  (r)  pageant  artist;  (d)  costumer;  (e)  musical 
director;  (/)  scenic  manager;  (^)  electrician;  (/?)  advertis- 
ing manager;  (/')  directors  of  episodes.  With  the  appoint- 
ment or  election  of  the  pageant  officers  the  main  function 
of  the  pageant  committee,  as  such,  has  been  fullilled.  They 
should,  however,  attend  all  general  meetings  of  the  pageant 
officers  and  serve  individually  in  an  advisory  capacity  as 
occasion  demands.  They  will  also  have  opportunity  to 
interest  many  people  and  groups  of  people  In  the  pageant 
and  thus  contribute  to  its  success  rather  directly. 

The   pageant   committee   will,   either  by   themselves   or 


THE "  ORGANIZATION  1 3 

assisted  by  the  other  pageant  officers,  select  the  time  and 
place  for  the  performance,  fix  the  price  of  admission,  and 
settle  such  other  matters  of  general  policy  as  may  arise.  In 
addition  to  their  advisory  duties  as  individuals  they  may  be 
called  upon  to  act  as  a  committee  in  advising  as  to  certam 
details  referred  to  them  by  pageant  officers.  They  certainly 
will  have  a  deciding  voice  in  outlining  the  groups  of  the 
pageant  and  the  scale  upon  which  it  is  to  be  organized  and 
presented. 

Pageant  Master. — Probably  the  most  important  of 
the  pageant  officers  is  the  pageant  master  or  director.  Both 
terms  are  common  in  describing  the  person  who  is  in  charge 
of  the  actual  production  of  the  pageant.  Upon  him  devolves 
the  task  of  coordinating  and  unifying  the  more  or  less 
detailed  work  of  the  episode  directors.  Indeed,  he  very 
often  must  work  with  the  pageant  chairman  in  coordinating 
the  efforts  of  all  of  the  pageant  officers  whether  their  work 
be  directly  or  indirectly  related  to  the  actual  production  of 
the  pageant.  He  must,  of  course,  direct  the  rehearsals  and 
the  performances.  His  esthetic  ideals  and  artistic  apprecia- 
tion will  make  or  mar  the  success  of  the  pageant  from  the 
standpoint  of  dramatic  and  artistic  effect.  He  must  have  a 
high  degree  of  executive  ability  and  must  be  able  to  work 
harmoniously  with  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  people.  It  is 
usually  well  to  select  a  person  with  as  much  previous  experi- 
ence of  the  right  kind  as  is  possible.  The  pageant  master  is 
the  one  officer  who  should  usually  be  chosen  from  outside 
the  group  or  community  giving  the  pageant.  The  success  of 
the  whole  pageant  enterprise  depends  upon  him  and  he 
should  be  a  person  of  experience  and  training.  Such  persons 
are  not  usually  found  in  any  except  very  large  cities  or  uni- 
versity centers.  If  a  community  does  have  an  experienced 
director  as  a  member  of  its  group  his  work  will  undoubtedly 
be  more  effective  than  that  of  a  stranger  although  the  latter 
may  be  more  experienced  or  better  trained  or  both. 

The  pageant  master  will  need  a  secretary  to  attend  to 


14'         THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

telephoning,  typing  lists  of  characters,  and  getting  the 
material  for  the  book  in  shape  for  the  printer.  It  Is  not 
good  buslnesss  to  leave  him  to  do  this  purely  clerical  work, 
as  he  must  often  neglect  it  or  else  neglect  the  work  that  more 
properly  belongs  to  his  office.  Usually  someone  will  volun- 
teer their  services  as  secretary.  If  not.  It  would  be  well  to 
employ  a  part  time  secretary  for  the  last  two  or  three  weeks 
of  the  preparatory  period. 

In  a  small  pageant  the  director  may  combine  the  duties 
of  his  office  with  those  of  some  of  the  other  pageant  officers 
such  as  pageant  artist,  musical  director,  and  the  like,  depend- 
ing upon  his  ability.  There  are  advantages  in  this  arrange- 
ment. The  director,  or  pageant  master,  can  often  drill  the 
orchestra  to  do  what  the  pageant  requires  In  less  time  than 
it  would  take  him  to  hold  conferences  enough  with  the 
musical  director  to  ensure  his  understanding  of  the  needs  of 
the  different  episodes.  In  much  the  same  way  the  pageant 
master  may  be  able  to  work  out  the  color  scheme  and  lighting 
plans  without  help  from  others.  A  higher  degree  of  unity 
may  result  from  this  concentration  of  responsibility  and 
authority.  On  the  other  hand  if  a  pageant  master  Is  perform- 
ing the  duties  of  some  other  officer,  such  as  those  of  the 
musical  director,  these  duties  may  occupy  his  time  and  atten- 
tion so  completely  during  the  performance  of  the  pageant 
that  the  details  properly  belonging  to  his  office  have  to  be 
left  to  chance  or  neglected.  The  folly  of  this  course  Is  evi- 
dent. If  it  Is  Impossible  to  find  properly  qualified  persons 
to  act  as  directors  of  the  music,  the  lighting,  or  the  staging, 
it  may  be  necessary  for  the  pageant  master  to  assume  the 
duties  of  these  directors.  Under  such  circumstances  it  would 
be  well  to  train  two  or  three  assistants  to  the  pageant  master 
to  look  after  the  details  that  require  attention  during  the 
performance.  Each  assistant  could  be  given  few  enough 
responsibilities  so  that  there  would  be  no  danger  of  any  of 
them  being  forgotten  or  neglected.  In  this  way  the  pageant 
master  himself  would  be  free  to  direct  the  orchestra  or  to 
look  after  any  other  part  of  the  performance.     In  a  pageant 


THE  ORGANIZATION  15 

with  a  cast  of  two  hundred  or  more  it  is  much  better  to 
divide  these  duties  and  responsibilities  among  the  different 
officers  listed  above. 

The  necessity  for  the  pageant  master  to  take  on  the 
duties  of  musical  director  will  probably  occur  oftener  than 
any  other  combination  of  duties.  This  is  due  to  many  things. 
It  is  sometimes  difficult  to  find  a  musical  director  who  can 
give  the  time  necessary  to  perfect  the  musical  background 
for  the  pageant.  Often  a  small  city  or  town  may  not  have 
a  resident  director.  In  some  cases  there  are  so  few  instru- 
ments available  that  all  who  play  must  be  used  in  the 
orchestra  and  it  seems  essential  that  the  musical  director  be 
free  from  any  other  tax  upon  his  attention.  The  reason 
for  this  is  that  in  a  pageant  the  music  must  be  fitted  to  the 
action  instead  of  the  action  being  fitted  to  the  music  as  is  the 
case  with  opera.  If  the  musical  director  is  to  accomplish  this 
he  must  be  free  from  any  other  duty  so  that  he  may  watch 
the  action  as  it  progresses  and  fit  the  music  to  it. 

Another  duty  that  a  pageant  master  is  often  called  upon 
to  assume  is  that  of  electrician.  In  many  cases  where  an 
electrician  is  available  it  is  necessary  for  the  director  to 
stay  with  him  during  the  performance  and  supervise  directly 
the  shifting  of  lights.  In  illustration  of  this  the  predicament 
of  a  certain  director  may  be  cited.  Her  lighting  cues  were 
all  carefully  arranged  and  given  to  the  electrician.  Imme- 
diately after  the  beginning  of  the  pageant  her  duties  took  her 
to  another  part  of  the  auditorium  and  the  electrician  was  left 
to  his  own  devices.  She  was  detained  throughout  the 
remainder  of  the  pageant  and  from  the  time  she  left  him 
until  the  end  he  missed  every  cue  and  gave  the  wrong  light 
every  time.  If  this  can  happen  where  the  electrician  has 
been  working  on  the  same  switchboard  for  months  and  has 
also  worked  with  the  director  before,  what  may  happen 
under  less  favorable  circumstances  can  be  imagined  better 
than  described. 

Less  difficult  than  the  combinations  of  duties  spoken  of 
above  is  that  of  business  manager  or  advertising  agent  and 


i6  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

those  of  pageant  master.  These  combinations  are  considered 
as  less  difficult  because  the  conflict  of  duties  is  not  apt  to 
come  during  the  actual  performance  of  the  pageant.  The 
conflict  may  be  just  as  serious  when  it  interferes  with 
rehearsals  but  it  seems  less  so  as  less  depends  upon  the 
continuity  of  a  rehearsal  than  upon  the  continuity  of  a  per- 
formance. During  the  recent  war  pageant  masters  often 
found  it  necessary  to  assume  duties  properly  belonging  to 
other  pageant  officers  but  under  ordinary  circumstances  this 
should  not  be  necessary  and  it  will  often  limit  the  effective- 
ness of  the  pageant  if  it  is  attempted. 

Business  Manager. — Next  in  importance  to  the 
pageant  master  is  the  business  manager.  His  duties  are  to 
make  all  financial  arrangements  such  as  leasing  an  audi- 
torium or  park,  arranging  for  sale  of  tickets,  keeping  a  check 
upon  all  expenditures,  and  in  general  seeing  that  the  pageant 
is  conducted  in  a  financially  safe  way  and  that  sound  business 
principles  are  applied  as  the  standard  to  proposed  scales 
of  expenditure.  He  should  know  the  minimum  probable 
income  from  sale  of  seats  and  should  keep  an  itemized 
account  of  all  expenses  that  have  been  authorized  so  that  at 
any  time  the  pageant  master  may  be  informed  as  to  the 
advisability  of  expansion  of  plans  or  of  the  necessity  for 
retraction.  7'his  statement  assumes  that  while  there  will 
be  no  attempt  to  make  money  on  a  pageant  there  will  be  a 
definite  attempt  to  make  it  a  self-supporting  enterprise. 

The  expenses  of  a  pageant  are  always  large  and  it  is 
much  easier  to  let  them  swamp  the  project  financially  than 
to  keep  them  within  the  limits  of  the  probable  income.  This 
is  so  well  recognized  that  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  19 17,  asked 
for  a  deposit  of  several  thousand  dollars  as  a  guarantee 
fund  from  an  organization  proposing  to  use  the  open-air 
municipal  theater  for  a  pageant.  Kvcn  where  the  persons 
taking  the  parts  assume  the  expense  of  their  own  costumes 
the  other  expenses  are  enough  to  bring  the  total  up  to  a  high 
figure.     For  this  reason  a  business  manager  is  needed  who 


THE  ORGANIZATIOiN  17 

will  always  have  the  exact  financial  situation  in  mind  and 
who  will  be  able  to  show  why  a  proposed  expense  must  not 
be  incurred  or  why  it  may  be  Incurred  with  safety. 

The  sale  of  tickets  may  be  handled  in  several  different 
ways.  The  business  manager  will  see  that  they  are  printed 
and  that  essential  information  is  placed  on  them.  The 
title  of  the  pageant,  the  place  and  time  it  will  be  given,  and 
the  price  are  essential  to  a  successful  sale  of  tickets.  In 
addition  it  is  well  to  include  the  hour  of  beginning.  If  an 
advance  sale  of  seats  is  desired,  and  it  very  often  is,  arrange- 
ments must  be  made  for  this  sale  through  special  committees 
or  through  the  school  children.  In  whatever  way  the  advance 
sale  is  conducted  one  thing  should  be  insisted  upon.  The 
territory  should  be  districted  and  the  individuals  or  groups 
selling  the  tickets  should  be  Instructed  to  confine  themselves 
strictly  to  their  own  districts.  Overlapping  in  this  matter 
has  often  prejudiced  the  public  and  annoyed  Individuals  to 
the  extent  of  making  them  decide  not  to  buy  tickets  and  not 
to  attend  the  pageant.  It  is  more  unfortunate  to  have 
persons  importuned  repeatedly  by  different  sales  agents  to 
buy  tickets  than  it  Is  to  have  the  advance  sale  neglected 
entirely.  Arrangements  will  need  to  be  made  for  a  box  oflSce 
sale  of  seats  and  for  the  exchange  of  tickets  for  reserved 
seats  If  any  seats  are  to  be  reserved.  It  seems  much  more 
democratic  to  charge  a  flat  rate  of  admission  for  an  out-of- 
door  pageant  and  let  those  arriving  early  have  a  choice  of 
the  seats.  If  the  pageant  is  given  indoors  the  same  rule 
holds  except  that  there  may  well  be  a  difference  In  price  for 
balcony  and  for  orchestra  seats.  The  former  are  the  better 
seats  for  a  pageant,  hence  would  bring  a  higher  price.  There 
is  reason  to  doubt  the  advantage  of  the  advance  sale  of  seats. 
Experience  seems  to  show  that  not  many  more  seats  are  sold 
than  would  be  the  case  If  the  sale  were  confined  to  the  box 
oflUce.  It  is  always  a  difficult  matter  to  get  unsold  tickets 
returned  and  accounts  checked  before  the  performance.  The 
agents  will  want  to  retain  the  tickets  with  the  hope  of  selling 
some  at  the  last  minute,  and  many  people  do  refuse  to  buy 


1 8  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

until  they  are  sure  of  being  able  to  attend  the  pageant.  If 
the  agents  are  allowed  to  keep  the  tickets  until  after  the 
performance  there  is  usually  still  greater  difficulty  in  getting 
the  accounts  completed  and  checked. 

The  only  satisfactory  method  of  keeping  account  of  all 
expenditures  is  to  limit  purchasing  power  to  one  or  two 
officers  or  to  require  itemized  statements  of  expenditures 
every  few  days  from  all  who  are  authorized  to  purchase. 
Probably  both  of  these  safeguards  might  well  be  insisted 
upon.  Requisition  blanks  issued  by  the  business  manager 
would  undoubtedly  be  the  most  exact  way  of  all  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  business  manager  but  in  actual  practice 
this  is  found  to  entail  so  great  a  loss  of  time  that  its  useful- 
ness is  seriously  impaired.  While  financial  restrictions  are 
valuable  and  even  very  necessary,  their  usefulness  ends  when 
they  interfere  with  the  preparations  for  the  pageant.  When 
the  scenic  manager  and  the  costumer  must  find  the  business 
manager  and  get  a  requisition  endorsed  before  they  can  buy 
a  necessary  article,  perhaps  of  small  value,  the  delay  to  their 
work  may  affect  the  success  of  the  performance  to  an  extent 
altogether  disproportionate  to  the  amount  involved.  Fre- 
quent checking  of  accounts,  then,  would  seem  to  be  the  best 
method  of  keeping  the  expenditures  within  the  probable 
income  from  the  pageant.  Experience  also  shows  that  it  is 
better  to  maintain  charge  accounts  at  the  different  shops  and 
pay  no  bills  until  after  the  pageant.  This  saves  time  for  the 
shops  as  well  as  for  the  pageant  officers.  The  bills  should 
be  checked,  item  by  item,  by  the  business  manager  and  the 
officers  who  incurred  the  expense  before  the  bills  are  paid. 
This  should  he  done  in  addition  to  frequent  checkings  before 
the  pageant. 

Fstimnting  tlic  probable  miiiinuim  income  from  a 
pageant  is  a  very  essential  part  of  the  work  of  the  business 
manager.  In  fact,  the  character  of  tlic  jiroduction  must 
depend  directly  upon  this  estimate.  If  it  is  approximately 
correct  the  expenses  of  the  pageant  can  he  niet  without  undue 
worry   and   effort.      Hie   estimate   should   be   made   at  the 


THE  ORGANIZATION  19 

earliest  possible  time  so  that  the  pageant  master  may  know 
how  much  money  will  be  available  and  how  it  may  be  appor- 
tioned in  order  that  each  department  may  be  conducted  to 
the  best  purpose.    A  definite  budget  should  be  adopted.   The 
advertising  manager  should  be  allowed  a  certain  amount,  a 
definite   amount  set  aside   for  the  printing   of  tickets   and 
programmes  or  pageant  books,  an  allowance  made  for  buying 
music,  and  so  on  through  all  of  the  departments.     That  the 
estimate  may  be  reasonably  accurate  it  is  necessary  to  know 
exactly    the    seating    capacity    of    the    building    where    the 
pageant  is  to  be  given  or  to  decide  upon  the  number  of  seats 
that   are  to  be   put  in   if  an  out-of-door  pageant   is  being 
planned.     Knowing  the  number  of  seats,  the  scale  of  prices 
may  be  arranged  to  furnish  the  amount  of  money  desired, 
but  there  must  always  be  admissions  that  are  within  the  reach 
of  practically  every  person  in  the  community.      Perhaps  a 
better  way  is  to  determine  the  price  of  admission  that  should 
be  charged,  than  the  number  of  seats  available,  and  then 
with  this   as   a   basis   apportion  the   money  thus  provided 
among  the  different  departments.     Allowance  must  always 
be  made  for  a  proportion  of  empty  seats  and  unsold  tickets, 
but  as  this  is  a  matter  that  will  be  different  in  different  places, 
local  experience  must  be  depended  upon  to  give  the  informa- 
tion.    It  is  much  better  to  make  a  conservative  estimate  and 
have  the  proceeds  of  the  pageant  exceed  it  than  to  be  too 
optimistic  in  estimating  and  have  the  proceeds  fall  below 
the  expenditures.     Very  often  when  the  pageant  celebrates 
some  event  of  local  history  and  is  a  real  community  enter- 
prise the  local  authorities  will  vote  money  for  the  purpose. 
Such  an  appropriation  is  a  legitimate  source  of  income  for 
the  pageant  and  should  be  added  to  the  estimated  income 
from  the  sale  of  tickets  before  the  apportionment  of  funds 
is  made.    The  reason  for  adding  this  money  to  the  estimated 
income  instead  of  subtracting  it  is  that  it  was  appropriated  in 
recognition   of  the    fact  that  the   pageant   is   a   community 
enterprise   that   will    increase   the   prestige   of  the   locality, 
advertise  it,  or  worthily  express  and  memorialize  some  phase 


20  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

of  its  history.  It  Is  eminently  appropriate,  then,  that  the 
money  should  be  used  In  presenting  a  more  elaborate  and 
creditable  performance  than  would  otherwise  be  possible. 
When  money  has  been  appropriated  for  a  pageant  a  certain 
number  of  free  seats  should  be  scheduled.  Knowledge  and 
ability  on  the  part  of  the  pageant  officers  will  often  make 
up  for  lack  of  money  In  arranging  a  worthy  production  but 
In  general  the  effectiveness  of  the  pageant  Is  In  direct  ratio 
to  the  amount  of  money  that  may  be  spent  on  It. 

Pageant  Artist. — The  pageant  artist  has  the  responsi- 
bility of  deciding  upon  the  color  scheme  for  the  pageant 
as  a  whole  and  for  the  color  and  lighting  effects  within  the 
episodes,  including  the  colors  for  individual  costumes,  the 
grouping  of  these  colors  on  the  stage,  and  the  use  of  colored 
lights  If  the  pageant  Is  to  be  presented  at  night.  A  high 
degree  of  co-operation  between  the  pageant  artist,  the  cos- 
tumer,  the  electrician,  and  the  pageant  master  is  essential  If 
the  plans  of  the  pageant  artist  are  to  be  carried  out  effectively. 

Audiences  may  be  entirely  unconscious  of  the  method  by 
which  their  emotional  response  Is  secured  but  they  are  not 
at  all  unresponsive  to  beauty  and  harmony  whether  they  be 
of  tone,  form,  or  color.  Each  episode  of  a  pageant  may  be 
beautiful  from  the  standpoint  of  form  and  color  but  if  no 
regard  Is  paid  to  the  progression  of  colors  as  the  episodes 
follow  each  other  a  very  strong  source  of  appeal  is  lost.  An 
audience  v^ery  Hkely  would  not  realize  wliat  was  lacking 
under  these  circumstances  but  it  would  none  the  less  be 
conscious  of  the  lack.  A  pageant  presented  In  Kansas  City 
some  years  ago  Illustrates  the  need  for  a  carefully  worked 
out  color  scheme  for  a  pageant  as  a  whole.  Peo]ilc  who 
attended  this  pageant,  in  commenting  upon  It  alterward, 
comphilned  of  a  feeling  ol  monotony  as  they  watched  the 
progression  of  episodes.  7  hey  could  give  no  reason  for  the 
impression  nf)r  could  they  cxplnin  how  it  was  received  or 
when  they  hcg;m  to  feel  It.  Wlicn  (juestloned  ch^sely  they 
maintained    that    the    different    episodes    were    beautifully 


THE  ORGANIZATION  21 

staged  and  elaborately  costumed,  yet  a  vague  feeling  of  lack 
of  satisfaction  persisted.  The  only  explanation  of  their 
impression  is  that  the  pageant  was  planned  by  episodes  in  so 
far  as  the  color  scheme  was  concerned  and  the  pageant  as  a 
whole  was  neglected.  7  he  result  was  a  series  of  episodes, 
each  excellent  in  itself  but  not  properly  related  to  the  pre- 
ceding or  following  episodes  in  the  matter  of  color.  Lack 
of  variety  or  contrast  and  lack  of  harmony  was  inevitable, 
or  almost  inevitable,  under  the  circumstances.  The  Thanks- 
giving pageant  included  in  this  book  was  planned  differently. 
The  pageant  artist  decided  upon  the  color  of  the  stage 
settings  first,  then  upon  the  colors  for  the  costumes  of  the 
central  figures  and  of  the  attendants,  who  were  on  the  stage 
when  the  curtain  was  first  raised.  Since  each  pair  of 
attendants  was  assigned  to  a  particular  episode  group  the 
colors  allowed  within  each  episode  were  determined  by  the 
colors  of  the  costumes  of  the  attendants.  The  samples  of 
the  colors  for  all  the  episodes  were  then  arranged  in  the 
sequence  they  would  follow  in  the  pageant  and  the  necessary 
corrections  and  modifications  were  made.  Finally  colors 
were  assigned  to  individual  characters  within  the  episodes. 
A  varied  yet  ordered  progression  of  color  effects  was  secured 
that  gave  a  most  satisfactory  impression.  The  attention  of 
the  audience  was  held  throughout  v/ith  no  feeling  of  weari- 
ness or  monotony.  Since  the  impression  that  will  be  retained 
by  the  audience  depends  upon  the  pageant  as  a  whole  rather 
than  upon  special  episodes  this  is  the  better  way  to  plan  for 
the  colors  to  be  used. 

Within  some  episodes  a  great  variety  of  colors  may  be 
used  effectively  if  proper  regard  be  observed  In  the  grouping 
of  the  characters.  The  pageant  master  and  the  pageant 
artist  will  be  able  to  work  out  together  the  details  of  such  a 
matter  when  it  is  necessary.  Where  the  episode  is  restricted 
to  a  single  color  and  only  tones  of  that  color  may  be  used 
such  detailed  care  is  not  so  essential  but  even  there  it  is  well 
worth  while.  Episode  II  of  the  Thanksgiving  pageant 
referred  to  was  restricted  to  the  use  of  tones  of  yellow  by 


22  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

the  pageant  artist.  The  episode  group  passed  In  proces- 
sional form  down  the  center  aisle  of  the  building,  mounted 
the  broad  steps  to  the  stage,  wound  its  way  across  the  stage 
and  disappeared  Into  the  wings  as  though  making  Its  way 
on  a  ceremonial  pilgrimage  to  the  shrine  of  Athene.  The 
tones  of  color  in  costumes  and  properties  were  so  arranged 
that  there  was  a  regular  progression  from  the  delicate  cream 
color  of  the  leaders  to  the  deep  yellow  and  tan  of  the  war- 
riors at  the  end  of  the  line.  The  arrangement  was  very 
effective.  It  would  undoubtedly  have  become  monotonous  if 
all  of  the  episodes  had  been  handled  in  the  same  way  but 
this  episode  followed  one  with  a  barbaric  display  of  heavy 
colors  and  was  followed  by  one  costumed  in  white,  purple, 
and  tones  of  purple.  The  arrangement  of  tones  in  the  last 
mentioned  episode  was  not  progressive  but  In  masses,  the 
tones  of  purple  being  surrounded  by  white,  with  the  real 
purple  used  In  the  ornamentation  of  the  white  garments  worn 
by  a  group  at  one  side  of  the  stage.  In  the  Savannah  Cen- 
tennial Pageant,  also  included  in  this  volume,  the  costumes 
were  largely  heirlooms  that  originally  belonged  to  the 
ancestors  of  those  wearing  them  In  the  pageant.  From  the 
viewpoint  of  history  and  of  sentiment  It  was  much  better  that 
these  be  worn  although  the  artistic  effect  was  not  as  good 
as  though  the  colors  could  have  been  selected  with  the  effect 
of  the  groups  as  units  in  mind. 

The  effect  of  artificial  light  on  color  is  a  matter  of  great 
Importance  to  the  pageant  artist  If  the  pageant  is  to  be  given 
In  the  evening.  Artificial  lighting  must  be  depended  upon  If 
the  performance  Is  given  Indoors  regardless  of  the  time  of 
day.  Very  few  buildings  are  so  constructed  that  an  adequate 
amount  of  properly  distributed  daylight  is  available.  Here 
another  problem  for  the  pageant  artist  enters.  Artificial 
light  used  to  supplemcni  a  limited  amount  of  daylight  gives 
quite  different  effects  from  either  artificial  light  or  ilaylight 
when  used  alone.  The  pageant  artist  must  know  the  effect 
of  the  light  that  will  he  available  on  the  colors  selected  if  the 
result  is  to  be  what  was  desired.     Certain  lights  intensify 


THE  ORGANIZATION  23 

blues,  yellows,  and  greens  but  neutralize  reds.  Other  lights 
Intensify  reds  but  neutralize  greens  and  blues.  The  safest 
plan  Is  to  select  the  colors  under  the  same  kind  of  light  that 
will  be  used. 

Since  1 9 14,  because  of  many  contributing  causes,  it  has 
been  very  difficult  to  obtain  fabrics  for  costumes  in  satisfac- 
tory colors  except  In  very  expensive  materials.  The  only 
solution  of  this  difficulty  is  the  dyeing  of  inexpensive 
materials.  The  supervision  of  this  work  belongs  to  the 
pageant  artist.  The  Putnam  dyes  give  very  beautiful  results 
when  skillfully  mixed.  The  De  Luxe  dyes  are  also  very 
satisfactory.  The  great  advantage  of  the  De  Luxe  dyes 
for  Inexperienced  workers  is  that  a  carefully  worked  out  chart 
has  been  prepared  giving  exact  directions  for  obtaining  any 
tone  of  any  color  that  may  be  desired.  No  other  part  of  the 
work  of  preparing  a  pageant  is  more  exacting  than  the  dye- 
ing of  fabrics  for  costumes  and  for  backgrounds  but  no  other 
expenditure  of  time  and  energy  brings  such  rich  returns  in 
Increased  beauty  and  effectiveness. 

COSTUMER. — The  costumer  will  have  authority  to  pre- 
scribe the  general  scheme  of  costuming  for  the  different 
episodes  and  the  detailed  construction  of  Individual  costumes 
according  to  the  color  plan  worked  out  by  the  artist.  Due 
regard  to  historical  accuracy  must  be  observed  in  those 
pageants  dealing  with  local  or  world  history.  Accuracy  of 
detail  may  be  slighted  in  mass  groupings  but  the  figures  that 
stand  out  from  the  groups  must  be  accurately  enough  cos- 
tumed to  be  convincing.  Eternal  vigilance  In  details  of  this 
sort  Is  the  price  of  success. 

Professional  costumers,  even  the  most  expensive  ones, 
are  careless  about  historical  accuracy.  They  either  do  not 
know  the  difference  or  else  they  believe  that  a  variation  of 
a  century  or  two  makes  no  difference.  It  Is  exceedingly 
disconcerting  to  have,  at  the  last  minute  when  it  Is  too  late 
to  make  corrections,  a  group  of  French  courtiers  in  a  Joan 
of  Arc  episode  appear  in  Elizabethan  costumes,  yet  profes- 


24  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

sional  costumers,  after  repeated  warnings  that  exactness  was 
desired,  have  done  this  and  worse.  Another  difficulty  experi- 
enced in  renting  costumes  is  that  of  getting  the  costumes 
long  enough  before  the  time  set  for  a  pageant  so  that  dress 
rehearsals  may  be  held  and  the  necessary  adjustments  made. 
Many  of  the  best  costume  houses  will  not  send  costumes  a 
day  ahead  of  the  date  of  the  performance  unless  an  extra 
fee  is  paid.  The  best  costumers  are  scrupulous  about  the 
sanitary  condition  of  their  costumes  but  they  often  send  them 
out  stained  with  use,  although  safe  so  far  as  the  possibility 
of  infection  is  concerned.  If  costumes  must  be  rented  from 
a  professional  costumer  the  only  safe  way  is  for  the  pageant 
costumer  and  the  pageant  artist  to  select,  personally,  all  of 
the  costumes  that  will  be  used. 

Seamstresses  may  be  employed  to  make  the  more  impor- 
tant costumes.  The  expense  of  this  may  be  borne  by  the 
pageant  committee  or  by  the  persons  for  whom  the  costumes 
are  made.  Whoever  pays  the  bills,  the  seamstresses  should 
be  under  the  direction  and  supervision  of  the  costumer.  The 
necessary  accuracy  and  harmony  of  color  and  style  can  be 
secured  in  no  other  way.  When  the  pageant  is  being  given 
by  a  school  or  when  a  school  forms  one  of  the  units  of  the 
community  giving  the  pageant,  the  clothing  classes  of  the 
domestic  arts  department  may  be  willing  to  take  care  of  the 
making  of  the  costumes.  Where  this  has  been  done,  and 
sufficient  time  has  been  allowed  to  do  the  work  satisfactorily, 
the  teachers  of  such  classes  have  said  that  no  other  problem 
has  interested  the  classes  so  completely  nor  have  the  students 
increased  their  knowledge  and  ability  to  such  an  extent  in 
dealing  with  the  rather  abstract,  unrelated,  minor  problems 
previously  used.  The  color  and  style  of  individual  costumes 
are  both  important  but  not  more  so  than  the  way  the  cos- 
tumes fit.  The  costumer  must  give  personal  attention  to 
these  details  if  they  are  to  be  properly  taken  care  of  and 
completed  and  since  no  one  person  can  do  all  of  the  cutting 
and  the  sewing,  seamstresses,  either  professional  or  volun- 
teer, must  be  secured. 


THE  ORGANIZATION  25 

Musical  Director. — The  success  of  the  actual  per- 
formance depends  largely  upon  the  skill  and  ingenuity  of  the 
musical  director.  His  preliminary  work  is  also  of  great 
importance  but  mistakes  there  may  be  corrected  while  an 
error  in  the  conducting  of  the  actual  performance  mars  the 
whole  pageant.  The  musical  director  must  either  select  or 
advise  concerning  the  selection  of  the  music  to  be  used.  He 
must  be  willing  and  able  to  modify  it  so  that  it  will  form  a 
suitable  background  for  the  action  of  the  pageant.  He  must 
be  able  to  so  control  the  orchestra  that  sudden  and  unex- 
pected happenings  on  the  stage  can  be  responded  to  instantly. 
He  must  also  be  able,  at  short  notice,  to  orchestrate  a  desired 
piece  of  music  from  the  piano  score. 

The  more  extensive  the  knowledge  of  the  musical 
director  the  better  able  he  will  be  to  select  appropriate  music 
for  each  of  the  episodes.  The  wise  director  will  select  music 
that  naturally  expresses  the  sentiment  of  an  episode  rather 
than  some  other  music  the  tempo  of  which  must  be  violated 
in  order  to  bring  it  into  harmony  with  the  episode.  Enough 
liberties  will  need  to  be  taken  with  the  music  without  care- 
lessly selecting  some  that  could  never  be  appropriate  unless 
changed.  A  competent  director  would  never  select  an 
Intricate  example  of  chamber  music  to  accompany  an  episode 
the  characters  of  which  were  peasants.  A  simple  folk-song 
would  be  much  more  appropriate  and  effective.  The  music 
selected  for  the  entrance  of  the  national  groups  in  Episode 
VIII  of  the  Thanksgiving  pageant  was  In  each  case  the 
appropriate  national  anthem.  In  the  recessional,  however, 
the  same  music  was  used  for  the  exit  of  all,  and  since  the 
reason  for  the  assembling  of  the  nations  was  a  world-wide 
thanksgiving  the  music  selected  was  the  Gloria  from 
Haydn's  First  Mass,  not  a  war  march  such  as  would  have 
been  used  had  the  nations  been  marching  out  to  war  against 
a  world  wrong. 

The  modification  of  music  to  suit  the  pageant  episodes  Is 
practically  unavoidable.  In  the  first  place  music  that  forms 
the  background  for  the  action  must  end  with  the  action  or 


26  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

very  shortly  after  the  action  ends.  The  necessity  for  main- 
taining the  tempo  of  the  whole  performance  makes  this 
imperative.  To  secure  this  co-ordination  the  orchestra  must 
be  ready  to  end  a  piece  of  music  quickly  and  harmoniously 
at  the  command  of  the  director.  This  can  be  justified  on  the 
ground  that  the  music  is  not  employed  to  make  a  separate 
appeal  of  its  own  but  merely  to  strengthen  the  emotional 
appeal  made  by  the  action  of  the  pageant.  The  volume  of 
sound  must  also  be  regulated  by  what  is  happening  on  the 
stage  rather  than  according  to  the  marks  put  in  by  the  com- 
poser or  sanctioned  by  custom.  This  is  an  added  reason  for 
care  in  selecting  appropriate  music  as  a  background  for 
pageant  episodes. 

The  absolute  control  of  the  orchestra  that  enables  the 
conductor  to  respond  to  every  variation  of  the  action  is 
difficult  to  obtain  when  dealing  with  amateurs.  It  is  equally 
or  more  difficult  to  obtain  with  professional  musicians  since 
they  have  the  habit  of  expecting  to  complete  any  musical 
composition  that  they  once  begin.  Their  attention  is  habit- 
ually upon  the  music  as  custom  has  determined  its  interpreta- 
tion. Absolute  control  is  necessary,  however,  as  the  orchestra 
must  cover  up  and  correct  all  errors  made  in  the  action. 
With  the  few  rehearsals  possible  when  dealing  with  such 
large  numbers  of  people  errors  are  bound  to  occur.  Then 
the  acting  being,  as  It  must  be,  spontaneous  In  character,  no 
two  performances  will  ever  be  exactly  the  same  and  no 
performance  will  ever  take  exactly  the  same  amount  of  time 
as  the  rehearsals.  Watchful  waiting  describes  the  attitude 
necessary  on  the  part  of  a  successful  musical  director  when 
conducting  for  a  pageant. 

Very  often  a  director  feels  that  he  must  use  a  piece  of 
music  for  which  orchestra  parts  cannot  be  bought.  There  is 
no  other  way  but  to  orchestrate  it  hlinself  or  persuade  some 
friend  to  do  It.  He  will  usually  do  it  better,  as  he  will 
know  the  strength  and  the  weakness  of  the  orchestra  and 
so  will  be  able  to  lean  on  the  one  and  favor  the  other. 
Very  much  of  this  orchestration  would  be  too  great  a  burden 


THE  ORGANIZATION  27 

on  the  director  and  since  practically  all  standard  music  has 
been  arranged  for  orchestra  it  is  much  better  to  buy  music 
already  arranged  unless  there  is  some  special  reason  for 
doing  otherwise. 

A  word  here  about  the  selection  of  the  members  of  the 
orchestra  may  not  be  out  of  place.  Long  and  varied  experi- 
ence indicates  the  superiority  of  fairly  capable  amateurs  over 
regular  theater  orchestra  players.  Clever  amateurs  respond 
more  readily  to  the  variations  in  tempo  of  the  pageant 
action,  and  these  variations  cannot  be  avoided  without  more 
rehearsals  than  can  wisely  be  called.  Amateurs  are  also 
more  inclined  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  pageant  and  to 
look  upon  it  as  an  expression  of  community  life  of  which  they 
are  a  part.  Regular  theater  musicians  are  more  inclined  to 
see  in  the  pageant  only  a  "show"  and  their  playing  is,  con- 
sequently, more  mechanical.  It  is  doubtless  more  accurate 
but  it  certainly  is  more  mechanical. 

Scenic  Manager. — The  business  of  arranging  the 
stage  rests,  of  course,  with  the  scenic  manager.  He  will, 
after  the  stage  has  been  located  for  an  out-of-door  per- 
formance, see  that  the  space  is  properly  rolled,  the  grass  cut, 
shrubs  planted  to  screen  entrances,  and  will  put  in  place 
upon  the  stage  such  articles  of  stage  furniture  as  form  a  part 
of  the  stage  setting.  The  nature  of  the  pageant  episodes 
must  determine  the  exact  location  of  the  stage.  For  the 
Thanksgiving  pageant  the  stage  would  better  be  located  in 
front  of  a  building  of  classical  architecture  or  one  having 
very  simple,  dignified  lines,  because  a  majority  of  the  epi- 
sodes either  deal  with  classical  figures,  as  Episodes  II  and 
III,  or  else  they  represent  action  that  took  place  within 
doors.  A  formal  background,  therefore,  is  better  than  a 
natural  one  of  shrubs  and  trees.  The  crowning  of  the 
Dauphin  in  the  Cathedral  of  Rheims  depicted  in  Episode  V 
of  the  same  pageant  would  be  exceedingly  effective  when 
given  before  a  background  such  as  is  indicated  above.  It 
would  lose  much  of  its  dignity  If  it  were  given  with  natural 


28  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

greenery  as  a  background.  Episode  I  of  this  pageant  would 
be  much  more  convincing  if  the  bacl^ground  showed  only 
shrubs  and  trees  or  vistas  of  open  country.  The  nature  of  a 
majority  of  the  episodes  must  determine  the  nature  of  the 
background.  Voices  carry  much  better  when  a  building  is 
used  as  the  background  of  the  stage  and  this  is  a  matter  that 
cannot  be  ignored  as  one  of  the  great  problems  in  out-of- 
door  pageants  is  having  the  lines  spoken  by  the  characters 
heard  by  the  audience.  A  building  acts  to  some  extent  as  a 
sounding  board. 

Whatever  stage  settings  are  used  should  be  permanent, 
that  is,  should  form  an  intrinsic  part  of  the  stage  as  required 
by  the  production.  Any  changing  of  scenery  between  epi- 
sodes detracts  materially  from  the  effect.  It  is  difficult  to 
recapture  the  attention  of  an  audience  when  it  has  been  lost 
through  the  incongruity  of  re-arranging  the  scenery  in  an 
out-of-door  performance.  There  can  be  no  curtain  to  hide 
the  activities  of  the  stage  hands.  Even  at  night,  with  the 
stage  dark,  the  stage  hands  will  be  seen  more  or  less  clearly 
and  the  noise  of  moving  scenery  interrupts  the  continuity  of 
impression  that  the  audience  is  receiving.  There  is  less  diffi- 
culty in  changing  scenes  for  an  indoor  performance  on  a 
regular  stage  with  a  drop  curtain  but  even  here  the  effect  is 
much  better  with  a  neutral  setting  against  which  any  sort  of 
action  is  convincing.  A  warm  gray  fabric  that  will  hang  in 
folds  is  probably  the  best  material  with  which  to  cover  the 
wings  and  back  drop  of  a  theater  stage  for  a  pageant.  If 
the  pageant  deals  with  out-of-door  episodes  to  a  large  extent 
a  different  background  would  need  to  be  used.  But  even  in 
that  case  a  rather  formal  arrangement  of  trees  and  shrubs 
such  as  are  seen  in  formal  gardens  gives  a  better  effect  than 
a  freer  arrangement  of  greenery.  Stage  settings  can  very 
largely  he  eliminated  if  the  scenic  manager  has  ingenuity  and 
imagination.  In  the  ThanksgiNing  pageant  the  stage  (a 
regular  auditorium  stage)  was  hung  with  a  warm  gray 
fabric  and  the  only  accessories  were  the  throne  for  the  Spirit 
of  Thanksgiving,    a  composite  altar  at  the  opposite  side  of 


THE  ORGANIZATION  29 

the  stage,  and  a  low,  small  platform  at  the  rear.  Being  of 
no  particular  style  or  period,  the  altar  could  be  used  without 
offense  in  Episodes  I,  III,  IV,  and  V.  Standing  at  the  side 
of  the  stage  as  it  did,  it  did  not  obtrude  in  any  of  the  other 
episodes.  The  small  platform  at  the  rear  was  used  for  the 
royal  personages  in  Episode  VI  and  in  the  other  episodes 
only  when  it  was  desired  to  elevate  characters  at  the  back 
of  a  group  so  that  they  would  not  be  entirely  obscured  by 
those  In  front  of  them.  In  Episode  VIII  it  was  occupied  by 
Serbia  and  Belgium.  There  is  something  very  impressive 
about  the  steady,  uninterrupted  movement  of  pageant  groups 
as  episode  follows  episode  that  is  lost  when  the  curtain  falls 
at  the  end  of  each  episode  for  the  shifting  of  scenery.  In 
the  drama  it  is  often  advisable  to  lower  the  curtain  to 
indicate  the  passage  of  time.  This  is  not  necessary  in  a 
pageant  as  it  is  taken  for  granted  that  long  periods  of  time 
elapse  between  episodes  and  since  the  lapse  of  time  between 
pageant  episodes  does  not  have  to  do  with  the  development 
of  an  individual  character  but  with  an  impersonal  force  or 
a  locality  personified  by  the  central  figures  present  on  the 
stage  throughout  the  performance  there  is  no  confusion  in 
the  minds  of  the  spectators.  The  announcements  of  the 
spokesman  for  the  central  figures  indicate  the  nature  of  the 
Interval  clearly  enough  for  all  pageant  purposes.  A  little 
Ingenuity  on  the  part  of  the  scenic  manager  will  make  it 
possible  to  avoid  the  use  of  a  curtain  except,  perhaps,  at  the 
beginning  and  end  of  the  pageant  and  even  in  these  places  it 
can  readily  be  dispensed  with  if  an  impressive  entrance  and 
exit  in  processional  form  be  arranged. 

The  scenic  manager  may  also  serve  as  property  man  if 
desired,  but  this  work  properly  belongs  to  the  directors  of 
the  episodes,  each  director  being  responsible  for  the  proper- 
ties of  his  episode.  In  case  the  properties  are  made  up  by 
the  pageant  committee  and  belong  to  the  pageant  organiza- 
tion it  Is  well  to  have  a  property  man  who  will  check  the 
properties  out  to  the  episode  directors  just  before  the  per- 
formance and  then  check  them  in  again  at  the  end  of  each 


30  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

performance.  These  episode  properties  should  include  such 
articles  of  stage  furniture  as  are  absolutely  essential  to  the 
action  of  the  episode  but  which  cannot  be  made  a  part  of  the 
permanent  stage  setting.  They  must  be  taken  onto  the  stage, 
placed  in  position,  and  at  the  end  of  the  episode  taken  off  the 
stage  again  by  persons  who  are  in  the  cast  of  characters  for 
the  episode;  slaves,  pages,  and  the  like.  In  Episode  VI  of 
the  Savannah  Centennial  Pageant  the  older  pupils  of  the 
dancing  class  carried  benches  in  for  the  pupils  to  sit  on. 
This  was  done  as  soon  as  the  Herald  had  finished  the  lines 
introducing  the  episode.  After  the  benches  were  in  place 
the  pupils  assembled  and  then  the  dancing  master  entered. 
At  the  close  of  the  episode  after  dancing  master  and  pupils 
had  passed  from  the  stage  the  same  older  pupils  carried  the 
benches  off  again.  This  did  not  seem  at  all  incongruous,  as 
the  arranging  of  a  room  is  to  be  expected  when  it  is  to  be 
used  for  a  specific  purpose.  In  Episode  III  of  the  Thanks- 
giving pageant  Augustus  carries  in  his  hands  the  brazier  in 
which  is  burning  the  incense  for  the  altar  of  Jove.  He 
places  it  upon  the  altar  as  a  praise-offering.  At  the  end  of 
the  episode  he,  with  due  ceremonial,  again  lifts  the  brazier 
from  the  altar  and  carefully  bears  it  away,  taking  his  place 
in  the  group  as  it  leaves  the  stage. 

Electrician. — If  the  pageant  is  to  be  given  at  night  or 
indoors  at  any  time  of  day  a  person  interested  in  the  artistic 
effect  of  the  pageant  and  who  knows  something  of  electrical 
lighting  of  stages  should  be  selected  as  electrician.  This 
person  must  give  time  enough  to  the  pageant,  attending 
rehearsals,  having  conferences  with  the  pageant  master,  etc., 
to  thoroughly  familiarize  himself  with  the  lighting  effects 
desired  and  when  and  how  they  are  to  be  secured.  Profes- 
sional electricians  may  have  to  be  employed  to  work  the 
switchboard  but  they  will  need  the  supervision  of  such  an 
electrician  as  is  indicated  above  if  any  other  than  the  con- 
ventional theater  effects  are  desired.  The  electrician  will 
constantly  consult  and  be  constantly  consulted  by  the  pageant 


THE  ORGANIZATION  31 

master,  the  pageant  artist,  the  costumer,  and  the  scenic 
manager.  In  this  way  color  effects  beautiful  beyond  expecta- 
tion will  be  secured. 

In  a  large  out-of-door  pageant  given  in  Jefferson  City, 
Missouri,  in' June  of  19 18,  with  the  approach  to  the  capitol 
building  for  a  stage,  the  lighting  apparatus  had  to  be 
installed  in  "crows'  nests"  built  twenty  feet  from  the  ground 
on  electric  light  poles.  The  professional  electricians  who 
must  manage  the  lights  could  not  spare  time  to  learn  just 
where  and  how  the  lights  were  to  be  used.  A  supervisor 
for  each  operator  was  trained.  They  stayed  In  the  "crows' 
nests"  with  the  operators  all  through  the  performance. 
Many  of  the  entrances  were  along  balustraded  terraces  lead- 
ing to  the  main  entrance  to  the  building,  in  other  words,  to 
the  stage.  These  entrances  were  started  thirty  or  forty  rods 
from  the  stage  and  had  to  be  lighted  with  spots.  Because  of 
the  presence  of  the  supervisors  with  the  operators  not  a 
single  entrance  was  missed.  The  lights  picked  up  the  figures 
at  exactly  the  right  moment  and  followed  them  steadily. 

Theater  electricians  have  a  strong  predilection  for  the 
spot  light  with  Its  sharply  defined  margin,  A  tactful  super- 
visor can  often  persuade  him  that  it  is  good  technique  to  use 
the  spot  to  accentuate  a  special  figure  on  a  brightly  lighted 
stage  without  turning  off  all  of  the  other  lights.  In  this 
way  the  spot  loses  its  hard  brilliance  and  prismatic  margin 
and  simply  emphasizes  the  desired  figure  by  intensifying  the 
light  upon  It.  Tact,  next  to  some  knowledge  of  lighting  of 
stages,  Is  the  quality  most  to  be  desired  in  the  electrician,  of 
whom  we  have  been  speaking  as  "supervisor"  of  the  elec- 
trical operator.  Tact  will  often  secure  results  not  to  be 
achieved  by  mere  knowledge.  One  may  know  that  a  bunch 
or  flood  light  placed  in  a  certain  way  in  the  wings  will  give  a 
certain  effect  but  It  often  requires  tact  on  the  part  of  an 
amateur  to  persuade  the  operator  that  it  is  better  to  use  It  so, 
with  the  stage  lights  on,  than  in  the  conventional  way. 

No  particular  color  effects  were  attempted  In  either  of 
the  pageants  Included  in  this  volume  when  these  effects  would 


32  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

depend  upon  electrical  lighting.  The  building  used  in  each 
case  was  not  well  equipped  for  special  effects  and  the  pageant 
artist  was  not  familiar  with  lighting  devices.  It  seemed 
better  to  use  a  steady,  soft  light  throughout  the  pageant, 
depending  on  careful  selection  of  colors  for  costumes  for 
effects,  rather  than  to  attempt  unusual  electrical  effects  when 
there  was  a  possibility  of  failure.  In  the  Thanksgiving 
pageant  a  flood  light  was  so  placed  in  the  wings  behind  the 
group  of  central  figures  that  it  gave  a  halo  effect  to  the 
group,  while  a  similar  flood  on  the  opposite  side  illuminated 
the  figures  that  stood  near  the  altar.  There  are  many  simple 
devices  that  can  be  arranged  when  the  electrical  supervisor 
is  interested  and  is  familiar  with  the  details  of  the  per- 
formance. 

Advertising  Manager. — However  carefully  a  pageant 
may  have  been  planned  and  however  complete  the  organiza- 
tion may  be  it  will  not  be  a  really  successful  pageant  unless 
a  large  number  of  people  see  the  performance.  To  ensure 
this  the  services  of  an  advertising  manager  or  publicity  agent 
must  be  secured.  He  will  see  that  notices  are  given  to  the 
newspapers  concerning  any  items  that  will  have  news  value 
such  as  names  of  persons  taking  important  parts,  lists  of 
historical  articles  that  will  be  used  as  properties,  costumes 
handed  down  for  generations  that  will  be  worn,  or  anything 
that  will  attract  attention  and  stimulate  interest.  He  will 
also  see  that  neighboring  towns  are  supplied  with  suitable 
posters  and  that  arrangements,  such  as  parking  space  for 
automobiles,  are  made  and  advertised  for  caring  for  the  out 
of  town  attendance. 

Advertising  in  the  town  where  a  pageant  is  to  be  given 
will  take  care  of  itself,  largely,  unless  it  is  a  very  large  city. 
The  organization  described  in  this  chapter  will  ensure  the 
interest  of  practically  every  group  of  people  in  the  city.  The 
large  number  of  people  in  the  cast  also  ensures  an  iiiuisual 
amount  of  \cry  practical  advertising.  It  is  well,  however, 
for   the    advertising  manager   to   supplement   all    this   with 


THE  ORGANIZATION  33 

some  formal  advertising  matter  that  will  attract  the  attention 
of  strangers  and  will  give  definite  information  as  to  admis- 
sion fees  and  time  and  place  of  performances.  The  news 
items  in  the  local  papers  are  of  value,  but  it  is  usually  con- 
sidered essential  to  have  some  paid  advertising.  This  is 
sometimes  taken  care  of  through  the  courtesy  of  regular 
advertisers  in  the  local  papers.  The  space  they  use  ordinarily 
is  frequently  donated  for  the  use  of  the  pageant.  The 
pageant  gets  free  advertising  space  in  this  way  and  at  the 
same  time  the  firm  donating  the  space  gets  rather  more 
advertising  than  as  though  a  regular  advertisement  had 
occupied  the  space. 

The  Items  that  will  have  news  value  in  one  city  will  have 
no  news  value  in  another.  The  advertising  manager  must, 
therefore,  know  his  city  and  also  the  type  of  item  that  the 
papers  will  consider  of  value.  In  one  city  the  local  papers 
are  always  willing  and  even  eager  to  print  lists  of  names  of 
all  who  take  any  part  in  a  pageant  and  will  use  practically  all 
of  the  pictures  that  are  supplied.  In  another  city  such  lists 
of  names  are  considered  as  having  no  news  value  and  only 
the  names  of  persons  taking  important  parts  will  be  used. 
In  certain  places  of  historical  distinction  items  concerning 
heirlooms  that  are  to  be  used  in  the  pageant  are  welcomed. 
There  is  an  educational  value  of  a  sort  in  this  kind  of  news 
item.  Relics  of  pioneer  days  that  are  seldom  exhibited 
publicly  have  historical  significance  and  news  items  calling 
attention  to  them  help  advertise  the  pageant  and  at  the  same 
time  renew  an  interest  in  the  things  that  served  the  needs 
of  earlier  generations.  It  is  worth  while  to  have  relics 
exhibited  in  shop  windows  during  the  time  of  preparation 
for  the  pageant.  In  the  case  of  the  Savannah  Centennial 
Pageant  several  of  the  largest  stores  in  the  city  gave  the  use 
of  their  show  windows.  Articles  of  wearing  apparel  for 
men,  women,  and  children  were  borrowed  from  the  descend- 
ants of  those  who  wore  them  a  hundred  years  ago  and 
exhibited.  Pictures  of  the  people  of  note  in  the  settlement 
and  development  of  the  colony  were  loaned  for  exhibition. 


34  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

Various  household  utensils  were  also  shown.  These  things 
might  have  been  exhibited  in  the  historical  museum  of  the 
city  for  years  without  being  seen  by  a  small  part  of  the 
number  who  looked  at  them  carefully  in  these  shop  windows. 
At  the  same  time  the  pageant  was  very  effectively  adver- 
tised. 

Advertising  a  pageant  in  the  neighboring  territory  is  an 
essential  part  of  the  duty  of  an  advertising  manager.  The 
best  medium  for  this  is  probably  the  poster  that  has  been 
made  by  persons  with  some  artistic  ability  or  by  pupils  in 
the  public  schools  under  the  direction  of  the  drawing 
teachers.  Here  again  there  is  some  educational  value  in  the 
work  as  well  as  an  effective  means  of  advertising.  The 
making  of  posters  involving  as  it  does  lettering  and  design 
as  well  as  work  in  colors  is  a  part  of  the  regular  course  in 
the  public  school  art  departments.  The  students  have  an 
immediate  interest  in  the  posters  that  are  to  be  actually  used 
for  advertising  purposes  while  their  interest  is  only  mediate 
if  they  are  asked  to  design  posters  that  are  not  to  be  used  for 
a  definite  purpose.  Posters  made  in  this  way  are  much  more 
distinctive  than  printed  ones  and  attract  much  more  attention. 
We  are  so  accustomed  to  all  kinds  of  printed  posters  used  in 
advertising  that  we  give  real  attention  only  to  those  that  are 
especially  attractive  or  very  unusual.  Where  large  numbers 
of  posters  are  needed  it  is  probably  well  to  have  outline 
sheets  printed  and  have  this  outlined  design  filled  in  with 
colors.  The  printed  matter  may  also  be  done  on  a  press 
instead  of  by  hand  if  time  is  lacking  or  if  large  numbers  are 
desired. 

A  very  attractive  advertising  plan  is  implied  in  the  sug- 
gestion that  the  advertising  manager  arrange  lor  out  of 
town  attendance.  So  many  people  motor  rathL-r  long  dis- 
tances that  a  well  advertised  arrangement  for  the  parking 
of  cars,  free,  will  attract  a  large  number  of  jicrsons  from 
extensive  areas.  A  rather  delicate  comj)liment  Is  Involved 
that  will  do  much  to  further  and  extend  a  comnuinity  spirit. 
The  fnrt  thnf  flic  pageant  officers  desire  the  attendance  of 


THE  ORGANIZATION  35 

persons  who  must  motor  In  and  that  they  take  the  trouble  to 
arrange  for  their  convenience  while  in  the  city  is  a  great 
Incentive  for  them  to  attend  not  only  the  particular  pageant 
in  question  but  to  form  associations  that  will  bring  them 
back  frequendy.  Certain  restaurants  may  be  persuaded  to 
make  special  terms  to  holders  of  pageant  tickets  or  some 
local  organization  like  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  or  the  Y.  W.  C.  A. 
may  establish  cafeteria  service  for  the  convenience  of  those 
attending.  If  such  service  is  planned  and  advertised,  and 
those  arranging  for  It  are  satisfied  with  a  small  margin  of 
profit  it  will  do  much  to  advertise  the  pageant.  It  will  do 
more,  probably,  to  advertise  the  friendly  spirit  of  the  city 
and  thus  contribute  to  a  mutual  understanding  and  establish 
a  good  basis  for  future  intercourse. 

Episode  Directors. — The  last  of  the  pageant  officers, 
but  by  no  means  the  least  when  considered  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  success  of  the  pageant,  are  the  episode  directors. 
Each  episode  should  have  some  one  person  named  as 
director  and  if  the  cast  for  the  episode  is  unusually  large  or 
if  the  action  is  subdivided  in  a  very  marked  way  two  or  even 
three  directors  should  be  appointed.  Each  should  be  respon- 
sible for  a  certain  very  definite  part  of  the  episode  and  should 
be  the  final  authority,  under  the  pageant  master,  for  the 
group  assigned  to  him.  The  reason  for  this  clearly  marked 
division  of  authority  is  the  impossibility  of  any  one  person 
taking  care  of  the  details  connected  with  more  than  one 
group  of  characters. 

Each  episode  director,  together  with  the  pageant  master, 
selects  the  cast  for  that  episode  and  under  the  direction  of 
the  pageant  master  plans  the  action  of  the  episode.  He 
must  see  that  the  members  of  his  group  attend  the  rehearsals 
that  are  called,  that  they  are  prompt  at  these  rehearsals,  that 
they  remain  together  and  quiet  in  the  place  appointed  for 
them  at  the  general  rehearsals,  and  that  at  the  actual  per- 
formance each  individual  in  the  group  is  ready  for  his 
entrance  at  the  proper  time  and  that  each  individual  Is  prop- 


36  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

erly  costumed  and  is  supplied  with  the  necessary  properties. 
In  fact  each  episode  director  is  a  stage  manager  for  his 
episode.  All  the  responsibility  for  the  success  of  his  episode 
rests  upon  him  and  this  is  no  slight  matter.  The  manner  in 
which  episode  directors  live  up  to  the  responsibilities  of  their 
office  determines,  in  a  final  analysis,  the  success  of  the  pro- 
duction. Another  duty  which  must  be  performed  by  the 
episode  director  is  the  writing  of  the  description  of  his 
episode  as  a  basis  for  the  work  of  the  author  of  the  pageant 
book  or  of  its  editor.  This  implies  the  writing  of  the 
book  according  to  the  plan  described  in  the  chapter  fol- 
lowing. 

The  various  and  exacting  duties  cited  as  devolving  upon 
the  episode  director  indicate  the  reason  for  limiting  the 
number  of  people  for  whom  he  is  responsible.  The  one 
burden  of  telephoning  instructions  as  to  rehearsals  would 
become  monumental  if  a  large  number  of  persons  were  on 
each  episode  director's  list.  Of  course  the  number  of  char- 
acters in  an  episode  will  vary  with  the  pageant.  A  variation 
of  from  tw^enty  to  two  hundred  is  not  at  all  uncommon. 
Should  the  cast  for  any  one  episode  be  very  large  the  director 
will  need  assistants  for  telephoning  and  similar  duties.  The 
wise  director  will  have  announcements  concerning  the  whole 
cast  made  when  all  are  together  in  order  to  save  so  much 
telephoning,  but  it  will  not  be  possible  to  avoid  a  large 
amount  of  it.  Then  at  rehearsals  it  will  require  a  very 
determined  director  to  keep  his  group  together  and  quiet 
enough  so  that  there  will  be  no  loss  of  time  when  the 
pageant  master  is  ready  for  them. 

An  episode  director  will  usually  select  the  cast  for  his 
episode  from  his  own  circle  of  acquaintances.  It  may  be  that 
he  must  look  for  a  peculiar  type  of  person  and  hence  must 
search  through  the  whole  city.  His  troubles  are  apt  to  be 
fewer  if  he  is  working  with  people  whom  he  knows  rather 
well,  as  he  then  knows  who  can  be  depended  upon  to  do  as 
they  should  without  too  constant  supervision.  Rather  close 
supervision  must  be  maintained  under  the  most  favorable 


THE  ORGANIZATION  37 

of  circumstances,  hence  it  is  to  the  advantage  of  the  director 
to  reduce  it  to  a  minimum  through  selecting  responsible 
persons  for  the  cast.  The  pageant  master  will  probably 
have  the  details  of  the  pageant  as  a  whole  much  more  clearly 
in  mind  than  will  any  one  director  and  so  can  select  more 
wisely  for  the  principal  characters  of  the  episodes  but  he 
should  be  limited  to  those  persons  selected  by  the  episode 
director  except  under  unusual  circumstances.  The  most 
satisfactory  way  is  for  the  episode  director  to  invite  the 
persons  whom  he  wishes  for  his  episode  to  meet  the  pageant 
master  and  then  through  a  simple  process  of  try-outs  the 
particular  persons  best  suited  to  particular  parts  can  be 
selected. 

The  episode  director  has  the  primary  responsibility  in 
the  costuming  of  his  characters.  He  will  receive  his  instruc- 
tions from  the  costumer  and  the  pageant  artist  and  then 
must  see  that  the  individual  characters  carry  out  these 
instructions.  This  is  no  small  task  as  there  are  always  well 
intentioned  people  who  think  they  have  costumes  that  will 
do  very  well  and  in  the  kindness  of  their  hearts  insist  upon 
wearing  them  or  loaning  them  to  some  person  in  the  cast. 
Nine  times  out  of  ten  such  costumes  are  not  at  all  suited  to 
the  particular  need  of  that  episode.  Another  difficulty  over 
costumes  is  that  some  people  invariably  wait  until  the  last 
minute  to  get  theirs  ready  and  then  there  is  no  time  left  for 
the  almost  inevitable  corrections. 

The  properties  occasion  much  perplexity  to  the  episode 
director.  Each  character  should  be  expected  to  provide  the 
necessary  properties  but  here,  as  in  costuming,  diversity  of 
opinion  as  to  what  Is  suited  to  the  episode  often  brings  about 
embarrassing  situations.  When  a  person  has  gone  to  some 
expense  and  considerable  trouble  to  get  a  needed  piece  of 
property  he  is  naturally  displeased  if  It  Is  not  considered 
suitable.  When  there  Is  time,  and  money,  available  It  Is 
much  better  for  the  pageant  master  to  have  all  the  properties 
made  up  and  Issued  to  the  episode  directors  or  directly  to  the 
cast  just  before  they  are  to  be  used  and  checked  in  again  at  the 

(Q  Q  Q  Q  O 

O  O  U  ili  O 


38  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

end  of  each  performance.  The  matter  of  swords,  when  they 
are  needed,  will  Illustrate  this  point.  A  modern  military 
sword  or  knights-templar  sword  would  not  do  at  all  for  a 
warrior  in  a  primitive  episode  nor  in  an  episode  with  Greeks 
of  the  age  of  Pericles  forming  the  cast.  Yet,  if  left  to  them- 
selves, the  majority  of  persons  would  get  such  a  sword  for 
these  parts.  When  a  sword  is  to  be  the  symbol  of  all  swords 
rather  than  a  particular  sword  the  Integrity  of  the  character- 
ization is  marred  If  the  sword  carried  is  obviously  of  the 
style  of  1 86 1,  1812,  or  1776.  A  painted  wooden  sword 
with  a  straight  cross  hilt  is  much  more  convincing  than  a 
modern  cavalry  sword  in  the  hands  of  a  feudal  knight. 
What  Is  true  of  swords  Is  true  also  to  a  large  extent  of  all 
pageant  properties.  They  must  be  In  keeping  with  the  age 
represented  by  the  episode  or  else  they  make  a  false  note 
that  is  difficult  to  overcome  by  excellence  of  acting.  When- 
ever a  piece  of  property  used  on  the  stage  attracts  attention 
that  should  be  centered  on  the  acting  It  is  inappropriate  and 
should  be  replaced  by  something  that  will  contribute  to  the 
general  effect  and  not  destroy  the  whole  scheme  of  relative 
values. 

The  episode  director  should  bear  the  same  relation  to 
the  cast  of  characters  for  his  episode  that  a  stage  manager 
bears  to  the  actors  In  a  regular  play.  He  is  responsible  for 
them  and  for  every  detail  of  the  episode  to  the  pageant 
master.  If  things  go  wrong  with  his  episode  he  Is  the  one 
that  is  blamed.  An  episode  director  who  Is  careless  or 
Indifferent  will  find  his  own  inefficiency  reflected  In  his  episode. 
Experienced  pageant  masters  claim  to  be  able  to  classify 
episode  directors  as  efficient  or  otherwise  by  watching  the 
way  the  details  of  management  are  taken  care  of  In  the 
different  episodes  of  a  pageant. 

If,  in  reading  this  chapter,  one  Is  impressed  with  the 
assertion  with  regard  to  the  pageant  officers  that  the  success 
of  the  pageant  rests  ultimately  upon  each  of  these  several 
officers,  this  rather  contradictory  position  can  be  definitely 
maintained.     A  pageant  Is  so  essentially  a  community  affair 


THE  ORGANIZATION  39 

that  the  sort  of  organization  best  suited  to  bring  it  to  a  suc- 
cessful issue  is  the  one  that  makes  each  individual  officer 
responsible  for  a  definite  indispensable  part  of  the  whole 
pageant.  If  an  indispensable  part  of  a  pageant  fails,  to 
exactly  that  extent  has  the  pageant  failed. 


III.    THE  BOOK 

There  are  two  ways  of  preparing  the  book  of  a  pageant. 
It  may  be  written  by  a  professional  author,  a  ready  made 
product,  as  it  were,  or  it  may  be  worked  out  as  a  community 
project  by  the  episode  directors  and  the  author  or  editor. 
Since  this  book  is  written  from  the  standpoint  of  community 
projects  the  latter  is  the  method  preferred. 

The  pageant  committee,  having  been  selected  to  organize 
the  community  for  the  production  of  a  pageant,  is  by  reason 
of  this  fact  usually  instructed  with  regard  to  the  nature  or 
theme  of  the  pageant  to  be  presented.  For  example,  the 
committee  appointed  to  have  charge  of  the  Savannah  Cen- 
tennial Pageant  presented  by  the  Savannah  Festival 
Association  of  Savannah,  Georgia,  April  24,  19 19,  knew 
from  the  time  of  its  appointment  that  the  pageant  it 
arranged  must  show  noteworthy  events  of  Savannah 
one  hundred  years  ago.  The  general  theme  was  at 
hand,  ready  made.  The  task  of  the  committee  was  to 
decide  exactly  which  of  these  notable  events  would  best  lend 
themselves  to  pageant  presentation  and  would  at  the  same 
time  show  the  important  happenings  of  the  early  years  of 
the  colony  in  historical  perspective. 

Title. — So,  with  all  pageant  committees,  the  general 
theme,  the  title  of  the  book,  one  might  say,  is  selected  by 
the  community  or  by  the  group  which  is  giving  the  pageant. 
The  title  of  the  book  is  selected  for  the  committee.  The 
committee  must,  however,  decide  upon  the  particular  epi- 
sodes or  events  to  be  presented.  The  names  of  these  events 
or  episodes  become  the  chapter  headings  of  the  pageant  book. 

Author. — As  soon  as  the  episodes  have  been  decided 

40 


THE  BOOK  41 

upon  the  episode  directors  must  be  appointed  If  they  have 
not  ah-cady  been  selected.  This  Is  as  important  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  pageant  book  as  from  that  of  the  actual 
presentation  of  the  pageant.  Efficient  directors  are  essential 
If  the  book  is  to  be  of  real  value.  Even  before  the  cast  is 
selected  the  episode  director  must  sketch  out  the  general 
plan  of  the  action  of  his  episode.  The  episode  directors, 
together  with  the  pageant  master,  arrange,  as  before  indi- 
cated, for  the  manner  in  which  the  episodes  are  to  be  pre- 
sented. Each  episode  director  then  writes  a  fairly  detailed 
description  of  his  episode  and  submits  this,  with  the  cast  of 
characters  for  his  episode,  to  the  person  who  is  to  write  the 
pageant  book.  Actually,  the  author  writes  only  a  small  part 
of  the  book.  He  usually  writes  the  lines  of  the  central 
figures  or  of  their  spokesman  and  edits  or  revises  the 
material  concerning  the  individual  episodes  that  has  been 
handed  in  by  the  episode  directors.  Strictly  speaking  the 
term  author  is  a  misnomer  since  the  finished  book  is  the 
result  of  the  labor  of  so  many  people,  yet  there  is  no 
attempt  or  intention  In  this  to  claim  credit  for  work  done 
by  other  people.  Perhaps  editor  would  be  a  better  term, 
and  yet  that  misses  the  exact  truth  almost  as  far  as  the  other. 
Since  it  seems  to  be  generally  understood  that  in  a  pageant 
that  is  a  community  project  this  Is  the  customary  procedure, 
there  really  is  no  misrepresentation  In  using  the  term  author. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  It  Is  often  necessary  to  rewrite  practically 
all  of  the  episode  descriptions  in  order  to  achieve  unity  of 
style  and  form. 

To  be  strictly  logical  In  carrying  out  the  community  idea 
the  episode  director  would  first  select  his  characters  or  at 
least  he  would  select  them  after  working  out  with  the 
pageant  master  the  important  points  in  the  action  of  the 
episode.  Then  he  would  call  his  group  together  and  they, 
advised  by  the  episode  director  and  the  pageant  master, 
would  discuss  and  decide  upon  the  details  of  the  action.  In 
other  words  the  persons  taking  the  parts  would  actually 
decide  by  the  laboratory  method  upon  the  way  In  which  the 


42  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

events  with  which  the  episode  deals  is  to  be  presented.  In 
actual  practice  this  works  very  well  when  there  is  time 
enough  to  experiment.  A  more  intelligent  interest  is  sure 
to  be  developed  on  the  part  of  the  cast  and  the  actual  per- 
formance will  be  that  much  better.  The  community  spirit 
will  also  be  developed  and  will  last  beyond  the  pageant  and 
Vv'ill  function  to  an  appreciable  extent  in  other  civic  activities. 
Then  the  episode  director  has  an  outline  for  his  description 
of  the  episode  that  is  to  be  turned  in  to  the  author. 

The  pageant  master  is  usually  the  one  who  acts  as  author 
or  editor  in  civic  pageants.  There  is  a  distinct  advantage  in 
this  when  he  has  the  ability  to  use  sincere  dignified  English, 
He  would  probably  spend  as  much  time  in  acquiring  a 
working  knowledge  of  the  details  of  the  book  if  it  were 
written  by  some  other  person  as  it  would  take  to  write  It 
himself.  The  one  essential  point  is  that  the  person  who 
writes  the  book  must  have  a  very  complete  command  of  the 
English  language  and  must  have  a  high  conception  of  the 
nature  and  function  of  pageantry. 

It  is  to  be  readily  admitted  that  a  quite  different  method 
of  writing  the  book  may  be  followed.  The  person  who 
writes  the  book  may  do  all  of  the  work  himself  from  cen- 
ceiving  the  pageant  as  a  whole  to  designating  all  of  the 
details  of  how  the  episodes  are  to  be  acted.  He  may  not  be 
a  member  of  the  community  giving  the  pageant.  He  may 
not  even  visit  the  community  while  he  is  working  on  the 
book.  In  this  case  the  author  would  write  the  book  without 
consulting  anybody  else  and  when  it  is  finished  the  pageant 
master  would  simply  assign  to  each  episode  director  the 
description  of  his  episode  and  the  director  and  the  cast  would 
have  no  opportunity  for  initiative  in  the  matter  at  all.  They 
would  only  follow  instructions. 

An  example  of  a  very  effective  dramatic  work  that  has 
been  given  pageant  treatment  is  llie  Pilgrim  and  the  Book 
written  for  the  Pilgrim  tercentenary  celebration  by  Percy 
Mackayc  in  the  manner  described  above.  It  is  very  proper 
that  a  pageant  designed  for  use  in  any  church  in  any  part 
of  the  country  desiring  to  observe  this  centennial  should  be 


THE   BOOK  43 

written  in  this  way.  Ordinary  rules  do  not  hold  under  such 
unusual  circumstances.  A  ready  made  pageant  of  this  gen- 
eral character  is  undoubtedly  better  than  one  on  the  same 
subject  that  could  be  worked  up  locally.  Local  writers  of 
Mr.  Mackaye's  ability  are  very  uncommon  and  since  the 
theme  is  general  it  is  better  that  it  be  handled  by  an  expert. 
It  is  only  the  local  historical  pageant  that  is  so  intrinsically 
a  community  project  and  therefore  to  be  developed  as  such. 

The  dramatist  and  the  literary  critic  will  very  likely 
consider  the  writing  by  an  experienced  author  the  best  way 
in  which  a  pageant  book  may  be  prepared,  and  it  will  result 
in  closer  dramatic  unity.  It  has,  however,  made  the  pageant 
that  much  less  of  a  community  project  and  has  robbed  the 
members  of  the  community  of  that  avenue  of  self  expression. 
Since  spontaneous  self  expression  of  individuals  working  in 
groups  is  the  real  essence  of  and  excuse  for  pageants,  we 
are  constrained  to  follow  the  more  democratic  method  of 
assembling  the  book  and  then  having  it  edited.  Even  the 
general  pageant  that  does  not  deal  with  local  history  may 
be  used  to  advantage  as  a  medium  for  community  work. 
When  this  democratic  method  is  followed  there  is  a  rather 
intangible  something  infused  into  the  acting  and  into  the 
book  that  inspires  a  wonderful  feeling  of  solidarity  among 
the  pageant  workers  which  carries  across  and  affects  an 
audience. 

The  author  or  editor  of  the  pageant  book  has  more  to 
do  than  merely  to  collate  the  work  of  the  episode  directors. 
He  must  furnish  the  main  plot  or,  more  correctly  speaking, 
the  main  thread  of  continuity,  however  slender  it  may  be, 
upon  which  the  episodes  are  strung.  Without  this  principal 
theme  or  thread  of  continuity  running  through  all  of  the 
episodes  and  binding  them  together  there  would  be  con- 
fusion and  loss  of  interest.  It  seems  hardly  fair  to  this 
dramatic  form  to  select  a  number  of  totally  unrelated  scenes 
and  call  the  aggregation  a  pageant.  There  should  always 
be  some  unifying  idea  that  relates  and  binds  together  what 
might  otherwise  become  almost  entirely  dissociated  bits  of 
action  through  a  haphazard  method  of  working  out  each 


44  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

episode.  A  convenient  device  for  thus  binding  together  the 
episodes  is  a  small  group  of  figures,  symbolic  in  character, 
personifying  the  community  or  impersonal  forces  such  as 
Hope,  Despair,  or  Truth,  which  remain  on  the  stage 
throughout  the  pageant  and  review  the  episodes,  relating 
each  to  the  main  theme  as  it  passes.  The  author  must,  of 
course,  write  the  lines  for  these  central  figures.  They  may 
well  be  given  the  exposition  or  argument  of  the  pageant  as  a 
sort  of  prologue  with  other  lines  introducing  and  explaining 
very  briefly  and  not  too  obviously  the  action  of  each  episode 
as  it  is  to  be  presented. 

In  the  Savannah  Centennial  Pageant  this  group  of 
central  figures  included  the  Spirit  of  Savannah  with  six 
attendant  female  figures,  two  heralds,  and  eight  buglers; 
the  Spirit  of  the  River  with  attendant  waves;  nymphs; 
dryads;  and  the  ten  years,  1 8 19-1829.  This  is  a  much  larger 
group  than  is  ordinarily  used.  A  very  few  lines  were  given 
to  the  Spirit  of  Savannah,  but  throughout  the  greater  part 
of  the  pageant  two  Heralds,  standing  at  the  front  against 
the  arch,  acted  as  spokesmen  for  the  group.  In  the  Thanks- 
giving pageant  the  Spirit  of  Thanksgiving,  Hope,  and 
Despair,  spoke  all  of  the  lines  of  the  central  group.  They 
had  attendants  and  buglers  but  no  lines  were  given  to  any 
of  them.  The  buglers  acted  in  both  of  these  pageants  as 
the  official  announcers  of  the  approach  of  episode  groups 
or  as  attendants  of  the  principal  figures  calling  upon  the 
different  episode  groups  to  appear.  Regular  bugle  calls 
were  used  but  they  were  given  a  tempo  less  rapid  than  is 
common  when  they  arc  used  for  military  purposes.  At  the 
command  of  the  central  figures  the  buglers  on  the  stage 
would  sound  an  appropriate  call  which  would  be  repeated  by 
the  buglers  stationed  at  the  entrance  where  the  group  was 
to  appear.  Such  a  formal  announcement  of  the  ajiproach 
of  an  episode  grouj)  seems  to  hold  and  concentrate  the  atten- 
tion of  the  audience,  and  when  it  is  well  done  it  is  very 
impressive.  An  added  ilcvice  for  unifying  the  action  of  the 
different  groups  in  the  Thanksgiving  pageant  was  tbc  use  of 


THE   BOOK  45 

attendants,  two  for  each  episode,  who  were  stationed  at  the 
different  entrances  and  who  conducted  the  groups  to  the 
stage  and  then  off  again  at  the  end  of  the  episodes. 

Language  of  the  Book. — An  indication  of  the  sort  of 
language  considered  suitable  for  a  pageant  book  was  given 
in  the  paragraph  dealing  with  the  qualifications  necessary 
for  the  author  of  a  pageant  book.  The  events  which  make 
suitable  material  for  pageant  treatment  are  of  more  than 
ordinary  significance.  They  are  the  great  moments  in  the 
history  of  a  people  or  of  a  community.  The  treatment  of 
them  must  be  in  keeping  with  the  character  of  the  events. 
This  will  exclude  from  the  pageant  book  all  merely  smart  or 
colloquial  language.  What  is  ordinarily  considered  as  the 
comic  element  will  be  excluded  for  the  same  reason. 
Comedy  and  the  language  of  comedy  have  little  or  no  place 
in  the  exalted  experiences  of  the  life  of  a  community  or  a 
nation.  Sincerity  and  dignity  should  be  the  dominant  notes 
in  the  language  of  a  pageant  book.  Not  only  the  lines  of 
the  characters  but  the  descriptions  of  the  episodes  should  be 
in  this  same  dignified,  almost  austere,  style.  Any  other  style 
seems  trivial  by  contrast  with  the  events  depicted. 

Variety  may  be  obtained  by  using  songs  in  chorus  or  solo 
arrangement,  dances  that  are  appropriate  and  that  belong 
intrinsically  to  the  action,  and  some  few  lines  by  the  principal 
characters.  These  devices  are  to  be  used  sparingly,  how- 
ever, if  an  effect  of  continuity  is  to  be  secured. 

A  very  common  error  of  authors  of  pageant  books  is  that 
of  making  use  of  too  much  dialogue.  Anything  that  par- 
takes of  the  nature  of  conversation  becomes  trivial  by  com- 
parison with  the  breadth  and  scope  of  a  dignified,  worthy 
expression  of  the  life  of  a  community.  Anything  conceived 
on  so  large  a  scale,  anything  making  use  of  such  masses  of 
characters,  must  not  be  belittled  by  ordinary  conversation 
between  actors.  It  must  be  sustained  and  dignified  by  the 
oratorical  and  the  declamatory.  Hence  the  author  will  do 
Avell  to  make  the  lines  of  his  central  figures  not  mere  dialogue 


46  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

but  the  expressions  of  lofty  emotions  that  may  be  fittingly 
expressed  in  tones  loud  enough  to  be  heard  to  the  limits  of 
the  out-of-door  auditorium.  The  lines  of  these  figures 
should  not  be  allowed  to  become  incongruous  because  of  the 
lack  of  proportion  between  the  v^olume  of  voice  used  and  the 
nature  of  the  words  so  expressed.  A  few  short,  well-written 
speeches  of  the  kind  indicated  are  sufficient  to  carry  along 
the  story  of  practically  any  pageant.  Dialogue  of  any  length, 
even  were  it  desirable,  could  not  be  sustained  in  a  voice  loud 
enough  to  carry  beyond  the  front  rows  of  seats.  As  a  result 
the  audience  would  become  restless  and  its  attention  would 
waver.     Attention  thus  lost  is  difficult  to  regain. 

A  single  example  may  be  cited.  The  prologue  of  a 
very  beautiful  pageant  presented  in  the  open-air  municipal 
theater  of  a  large  city  and  enacted  by  an  actor  and  actress  of 
national  renown  lost  much  of  its  effect  because  the  effect 
depended  too  much  upon  the  lines  which  could  not  be  heard 
beyond  the  first  quarter  of  the  seats.  The  audience  became 
restless;  read  newspapers,  and  entered  into  half-audible 
conversation  with  neighbors.  The  attention  thus  allowed  to 
wander  was  never  completely  regained  and  the  inspiring 
message  of  a  beautiful  pageant  was  lost  to  three-quarters 
of  the  immense  audience. 

What  is  true  of  the  central  figures  is  also  true  to  a 
greater  extent  of  the  characters  in  the  episodes.  They 
should  seldom  be  given  any  lines.  Like  the  small  boy  of 
proverbial  fame,  they  are  more  effective  when  seen  and  not 
heard.  There  is  something  unexpectedly  impressive  about 
the  silent,  steady  progress  of  episode  after  episode  played 
against  a  background  of  appropriate  music,  each  introduced 
by  only  essential  explanation  or  left  to  explain  itself  through 
the  action.  Even  the  printed  description  of  the  episodes  in 
the  pageant  book  should  be  as  brief  and  concise  as  possible 
without  neglecting  the  essential  features.  The  audience 
should  be  able  to  read  all  that  pertains  to  an  episode  in  so 
short  a  time  that  they  will  not  miss  anything  of  importance 
in  the  action. 


THE   BOOK  47 

Those  lines  in  the  pageant  book  that  are  to  be  spoken  by 
the  different  characters  might  well  be  printed  in  a  different 
kind  of  type  from  that  used  for  descriptive  matter.  In  the 
Savannah  Centennial  Pageant  the  lines  of  the  principal  char- 
acters were  printed  in  italics.  The  only  departure  from  this  is 
that  the  lines  of  Savannah  at  the  opening  of  the  pageant  are 
in  ordinary  type  but  widely  spaced.  The  reader  soon  becomes 
accustomed  to  this  arrangement  and  can  follow  the  lines 
or  can  distinguish  the  parts  of  the  book  that  deal  with  the 
episode  action  without  loss  of  time.  In  the  same  way  the 
type  used  for  the  descriptive  material  is  different  from  that 
used  for  the  casts  of  characters.  The  cast  of  the  central 
figures  is  put  in  different  type  from  that  of  the  episode  casts 
but  there  is  no  reason  for  confusion  in  that  as  there  is  no 
other  kind  of  material  on  the  page  with  the  cast  of  the 
principal  characters  in  this  particular  book.  Ordinarily  it 
would  be  better  to  use  the  same  type  for  all  casts  of  char- 
acters. These  or  similar  devices  should  be  used  in  all 
pageant  books  to  distinguish  clearly  between  the  different 
kinds  of  material  included  so  that  confusion  and  vain  search- 
ing for  specific  information  on  the  part  of  the  spectators  may 
be  avoided. 

Content  of  the  Book. — The  pageant  book  will  con- 
tain, then,  the  lines  of  the  central  figures,  the  descriptions 
of  the  different  episodes,  the  words  of  whatever  songs  are 
used,  the  cast  of  characters  for  each  episode,  the  cast  of  the 
central  figures,  the  list  of  pageant  officers,  the  pageant  com- 
mittee, the  programme  of  music,  the  names  of  the  members  of 
the  orchestra,  a  list  of  the  episodes,  and  a  foreword  indi- 
cating the  purpose  and  aims  of  the  community  in  presenting 
the  pageant.  The  person  who  writes  the  foreword  and  the 
lines  of  the  central  figures  and  who  edits  the  descriptions  of 
the  episodes  is  conventionally  termed  the  author.  Quota- 
tions and  original  lines  by  episode  directors  or  others  are 
usually  acknowledged  in  foot-notes. 

The  order  in  which  these  items  should  be  arranged  is  a 


48    THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

matter  for  debate.  A  very  good  arrangement  places  the 
pageant  committee,  the  author,  and  the  pageant  officers  on 
the  first  page,  the  names  of  the  members  of  the  orchestra  on 
the  second,  a  Hst  of  the  episodes  with  the  directors  assigned 
to  each  on  the  next,  the  cast  of  the  central  figures  next,  then 
the  episodes  with  the  cast  for  each  following  in  order,  and 
last  the  musical  programme  by  episodes.  The  foreword  Avould 
probably  better  be  placed  first  of  all  instead  of  between  the 
lists  of  officers  and  the  episode  descriptions.  It  is  well  to 
have  the  reader  informed  concerning  the  aims  of  the  com- 
munity in  giving  the  pageant  before  he  is  informed  as  to 
the  persons  who  are  carrying  out  the  ideas  of  the  community 
and  the  manner  in  which  they  propose  to  carry  them  out. 

Style  of  the  Book. — There  has  been  great  diversity 
in  the  style  of  pageant  books  gotten  out  for  different 
pageants.  The  book  of  the  Savannah  Centennial  Pageant 
is  included  in  this  volume  in  its  original  form.  This  pamphlet 
of  twenty-four  pages  contains  all  of  the  material  used  in  the 
pageant  except  the  words  of  the  song  in  Episode  I,  a  few- 
lines  of  dialogue  in  Episode  II,  the  words  of  the  song  in 
Episode  III,  the  address  in  Episode  V,  and  the  words  of  the 
song  in  Episode  VII.  These  items  should  have  been 
included  but  the  material  was  not  ready  in  time.  The  book 
does  not  follow  exactly  the  order  suggested  in  the  preceding 
paragraph.  It  would  doubtless  have  gained  in  clearness  had 
it  been  so  arranged.  Page  one  would  not  be  readily  under- 
stood except  by  one  who  had  helped  with  the  pageant.  Phis 
arrangement  was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  formal  pageant  in 
the  city  auditorium  was  preceded  by  a  street  pageant  in 
which  the  order  of  grouping  was  that  given  on  page  one, 
v.ith  the  exception  of  the  last  two  groups.  Ordinarily  a 
book  of  this  size  is  entirely  adequate  for  the  material  that 
really  needs  to  be  included  in  a  pageant  book.  No  book  was 
printed  for  the  1  hanksgiving  pageant  because  of  lack  of 
funds.  A  four-page  programme  with  a  brief  synopsis  of  the 
episodes   and  the  cast  of  characters  was  printed  and  dis- 


THE   BOOK  49 

tribiited.  Unless  a  pageant  book  is  printed  it  is  necessary  to 
have  a  programme  similar  to  this  one.  Such  programmes 
should  contain  as  brief  a  statement  as  possible  of  the  different 
episodes,  the  casts  of  characters  for  the  episodes  and  the  cast 
of  the  central  figures.  Only  the  most  important  of  the  pageant 
officers  can  be  included  and  the  names  of  the  members  of  the 
orchestra  may  have  to  be  omitted.  The  programme  of  music 
by  episodes  will  have  to  be  omitted,  also.  The  description 
of  each  episode  should  be  confined  to  a  single  sentence  when 
possible.  None  of  the  lines  of  any  of  the  characters  can  be 
included. 

The  programme  of  the  Thanksgiving  pageant  precedes  the 
words  of  the  pageant  in  the  present  volume,  and  is  a  fair 
sample  of  what  such  programmes  should  be.  The  programme 
of  the  Jefferson  City  pageant  which  precedes  the  programme 
of  the  Thanksgiving  pageant  is  much  the  same  except  that  it 
has  no  episode  descriptions.  These  were  not  necessary  as 
pageant  books  were  available.  This  was  one  of  those 
pageants  of  general  appeal  written  by  a  regular  author;  the 
ready  made  pageant  spoken  of  earlier  In  the  chapter.  Being 
printed  by  a  commercial  publisher  for  use  in  many  different 
places  the  books  contained  nothing  but  the  words  of  the 
pageant  and  it  was  necessary  to  have  programmes  with  the 
cast  of  characters  printed.  There  v/as,  however,  no  need  for 
episode  descriptions  to  be  Included  as  the  books  contained 
full  descriptions  of  the  episodes. 

The  book  will  gain  In  clearness  if  the  paging  of  the  epi- 
sodes Is  so  arranged  that  each  episode  description  can  begin 
at  the  top  of  a  page.  This  Is  particularly  appropriate  since 
the  episode  description  together  with  the  cast  of  characters 
for  It  Is  to  be  treated  as  a  chapter  of  a  book  is  treated.  No 
printer  would  begin  a  new  chapter  of  a  book  In  the  middle 
of  a  page  and  yet  many  of  them  will  start  a  new  episode 
description  In  the  middle  of  a  page  as  readily  as  at  the  top 
of  a  new  page.  The  reason  for  this  is  especially  obscure 
because  each  episode  description  is  given  a  title  and  is  num- 
bered with  Roman  numerals  as  chapter  headings  are  always 


50  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

indicated  in  books.  Separating  the  episode  descriptions  by 
proper  paging  is  an  aid  to  the  audience  in  following  the  story 
of  the  pageant  as  the  action  progresses.  Less  attention  Is 
taken  from  the  action  itself  when  episode  divisions  are  thus 
clearly  indicated. 

Many  pageant  books  have  been  made  exceedingly 
elaborate  with  half-tone  or  colored  illustrations.  They  often 
run  into  a  large  number  of  pages,  ninety-six  to  one  hundred 
forty-eight.  Books  of  this  kind  are  very  expensive  to 
issue  and  must  be  sold  for  comparatively  large  prices.  It  is, 
however,  a  very  decided  advantage  to  have  half-tones  of  the 
different  pageant  groups  and  of  the  important  characters 
used  to  illustrate  the  text  of  the  pageant.  Even  in  a  book  of 
twenty-four  pages  a  few  of  these  half-tones  may  be  included 
if  costumes  can  be  made  ready  in  time.  It  takes  from  four 
to  seven  days  to  get  the  plates  made  after  the  pictures  are 
taken.  Allowing  only  a  week  for  the  printer  to  get  out  the 
books  this  means  that  any  group  whose  picture  is  to  appear 
in  the  book  must  be  completely  cast  and  costumed  at  least 
two  weeks  before  the  date  for  the  pageant.  This  seems 
very  simple  at  first  sight  but  experience  shows  it  to  be  an 
almost  impossible  task.  Line  drawings  are  much  easier  to 
prepare  as  the  pageant  artist  can  make  the  drawings  while 
the  costumes  are  being  made  and  it  takes  a  much  shorter 
time  to  get  the  zinc  plates  made  than  the  copper  ones  used 
for  the  half-tones.  Books  illustrated  with  the  line  drawings 
are  very  interesting  and  much  less  expensive  to  publish. 
They  lack  the  personal  appeal  of  the  pictures  of  the  people 
who  take  the  parts  In  the  pageant  and  it  is  this  personal 
appeal  that  Influences  the  sale  of  the  books. 

A  book  of  twenty-four  or  even  forty-eight  pages  could 
be  gotten  out  in  191 6  for  from  seventy-live  to  ninety  dollars 
a  thousand  with  a  reduction  for  the  second  and  subsequent 
thousands.  These  books  would  be  printed  on  a  fair  quality 
of  paper  and  would  have  heavy  paper  covers  printed  ^\ith 
an  appropriate  cover  design.  At  this  price  It  was  possible  to 
sell  the  books  for  ten  cents  a  copy  and  make  a  little  money 


THE   BOOK  51 

on  them.  The  book  of  the  Savannah  Centennial  Pageant 
was  sold  for  ten  cents  a  copy  but  that  was  not  enough  to 
cover  the  cost  of  the  printnig  which  had  advanced  greatly 
since  1916.  The  pageant  committee  considered  that  it  was 
better  to  sell  the  books  at  a  small  loss  than  to  charge  more 
for  them  and  so  reduce  the  sales.  They  wanted  everybody 
who  attended  the  pageant  to  have  a  book  for  reference  dur- 
ing the  performance. 

It  is  usually  found  necessary  to  sell  the  pageant  books 
as  copies  of  the  libretto  of  an  opera  are  sold.  A  much  better 
plan  would  be  to  distribute  them  freely  as  theater  programmes 
are  distributed  in  this  country  but  the  cost  of  printing  usually 
prohibits  this  and  they  must  be  sold  for  enough  to  pay  for 
the  printing.  Since  they  contain  the  cast  of  characters  and 
may  contain  half-tones  of  groups  or  of  individual  characters 
or  line  drawings  illustrating  the  episodes  they  become  valu- 
able souvenirs  of  the  pageant.  Such  books,  containing  con- 
siderable historical  material,  often  become  really  valuable 
documents  after  only  a  few  years. 

No  advertisements  of  any  kind  should  be  used  in  the 
pageant  book.  It  is  essentially  inappropriate  to  use  them, 
as  they  would  spoil  the  artistic  quality  of  the  book  and  to 
some  extent  impair  its  historical  value,  as  well.  Even 
pageant  programmes  are  better  with  no  advertisements  in 
them  to  distract  the  attention  of  the  audience.  The  only 
excuse  for  using  advertisements  on  such  programmes  is  that 
the  money  for  them  will  reimburse  the  pageant  committee 
for  the  cost  of  the  programmes.  Economy  in  some  other 
place  would  better  be  exercised  and  the  programmes  as  well 
as  the  pageant  books  left  free  from  advertising  matter  of 
any  kind. 

Sale  of  the  Books. — If  the  pageant  books  can  be 
gotten  out  several  days  before  the  date  set  for  the  pageant 
they  serve  as  valuable  advertising  material.  They  should  be 
put  on  sale  in  the  book  stores  and  music  stores,  at  the  places 
where  the  tickets  are  for  sale,  and  at  special  booths  arranged 


52  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

in  the  post  office  and  other  public  buildings  or  wherever 
many  people  pass  in  the  course  of  the  day.  On  the  day  of 
the  pageant  persons  from  the  cast,  in  costume,  should  be 
assigned  to  the  approaches  to  the  pageant  grounds,  and  to 
the  inside  of  the  grounds  as  well,  to  sell  the  books.  Ushers, 
boy  scouts,  girl  scouts,  and  camp-fire  girls  may  sell  the  books 
if  preferred  but  the  person  in  costume  appeals  to  the 
imagination  of  the  people  in  the  audience  and  stimulates 
interest  in  the  pageant.  The  salesmen  in  costume  help  create 
an  atmosphere,  if  we  may  use  that  much  worked  word.  Of 
course,  when  the  pageant  begins,  the  sale  of  books  must  stop 
except  as  it  can  be  done  quietly  and  unobtrusively  by  the 
ushers. 

Nothing  has  been  said  about  who  should  be  responsible 
for  the  handling  of  the  pageant  books.  In  some  cases  the 
advertising  manager  is  able  and  willing  to  do  that  in  addition 
to  his  other  duties.  The  business  manager  is  also  willing  to 
undertake  the  sale  in  some  cases.  Considerable  experience 
seems  to  prove  that  it  is  much  better  to  hav^e  some  person 
with  no  other  duties  of  any  nature  appointed  to  have  entire 
control  of  the  sale  of  books.  A  person  with  no  other  duties 
is  able  to  give  his  entire  attention  to  this  rather  difficult  task 
and  so  carry  it  through  to  a  successful  completion.  The 
successful  conclusion  is  not  so  much  the  making  of  money 
from  the  sale  of  the  books  as  it  is  to  so  manage  the  sale  that 
practically  everyone  who  attends  the  pageant  will  have  a 
book  for  reference  during  the  performance. 

Editing  the  Book. — The  editing,  as  such,  consists  in 
unifying  the  style  of  the  episode  descriptions  and  making 
uniform  the  lists  of  names  and  casts  of  characters.  It  is  a 
difficult  matter  to  secure  uniformity  in  these  details  and 
hence  the  task  should  be  given  Into  the  hands  of  a  person 
who  at  least  knows  the  language  of  printers.  If  a  very  care- 
fully typed  copy  be  given  to  the  printer  his  labors  are  greatly 
minimized.  Very  good  printers  who  take  a  pride  In  their 
work  will  attend  to  the  details  mentioned  better  than  a  per- 


THE   BOOK  53 

son  not  familiar  with  the  trade  can  do.  The  author  should 
consult  the  printer  constantly  or  arrange  to  have  the  printer 
consult  him  when  in  doubt  as  to  the  way  any  detail  of  the 
book  such  as  paging  and  spacing  of  names  is  to  be  arranged. 
With  the  hundreds  of  names  listed  in  a  pageant  book  errors 
are  very  difficult  to  detect.  The  proof  should  be  read  care- 
fully by  at  least  two  persons  and  each  episode  director  should 
read  the  proof  for  his  episode.  Even  with  this  precaution 
one  need  not  be  surprised  to  discover  errors  and  omissions 
in  the  book  when  issued.  The  errors  and  omissions  are 
always  those  that  are  the  hardest  to  explain  and  when  names 
are  omitted  it  usually  happens  that  they  are  the  names  of  all 
names  that  should  have  been  included  if  misunderstandings 
were  to  be  avoided.  For  the  Thanksgiving  pageant  several 
marines  were- coming  at  their  own  expense  from  a  post  some 
distance  away  to  take  part  in  Episodes  VIII  and  IX.  Their 
names  were  omitted  from  the  preliminary  programme  printed 
the  day  before  the  pageant  was  to  be  given  and  it  took  three 
hours  of  long  distance  telephoning  to  straighten  out  the  diffi- 
culty. Under  such  circumstances  the  persons  who  read  the 
proof  would  better  not  try  to  explain.  It  is  much  simpler 
in  the  end  to  admit  the  fault  and  express  regret,  even  if  there 
is  a  real  excuse  for  the  error. 

Need  for  the  Book. — Why  has  it  been  taken  for 
granted  that  a  pageant  book  is  essential?  Because  a 
pageant,  contrary  to  general  opinion  with  regard  to  the 
drama,  gains  in  effect  if  the  audience  is  taken  into  the  con« 
fidence  of  the  pageant  group  and  is  informed  as  to  what 
is  to  be  seen  and  the  significance  of  it.  A  pageant  is,  by  the 
nature  of  pageantry,  a  very  broad  sketchy  treatment  of 
events  or  forces,  any  detail  of  which  might  well  form  the 
plot  of  a  full-length  drama.  It  is,  therefore,  in  the  nature 
of  an  intensification  of  the  impression  made  if  the  action  on 
the  stage  is  supplemented,  or  even  anticipated,  by  the 
pageant  book.  The  tradition  that  the  audience  would  better 
be  ignorant  of  what  was  to  be  seen  and  heard  in  the  theater 


54  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

grew  up  before  the  day  of  published  plays.  Now  that  many 
plays  are  offered  for  sale  in  printed  form  before  they  are 
ever  produced  on  the  stage  this  tradition  is  going  the  way  of 
many  traditions  that  grew  up  under  former  conditions. 
Many  actors  now  maintain  that  the  ideal  audience  is  the  one 
that  is  familiar  with  the  play  that  is  being  given.  They  claim 
that  such  an  audience  listens  more  intelligently  and  responds 
more  promptly  than  an  audience  that  is  in  suspense  as  to  the 
trend  of  the  action.  This  change  of  attitude  cannot  be  placed 
entirely  to  the  account  of  the  printed  play  by  any  means. 
There  has  been  a  corresponding  change  in  the  character  of 
the  plays  produced.  Whatever  may  be  true  with  regard  to 
the  drama  there  is  but  one  conclusion  with  regard  to  the 
pageant.  There  is  everything  to  gain  and  nothing  to  lose 
by  having  the  audience  familiar  with  the  words  of  the 
pageant  and  the  best  way  to  accomplish  this  is  through  the 
pageant  book. 


IV.    THE  MUSIC 

Pageant  music  Is  in  a  class  by  itself.  The  nearest 
approach  to  it,  probably,  is  the  music  used  in  the  picture 
houses.  Even  this  is  so  diiierent  in  character  and  treatment 
that  it  can  hardly  be  said  to  resemble  pageant  music  except 
that  both  aim  to  deepen  the  impression  made  upon  the 
audience  by  what  is  seen  on  the  stage  and  the  screen.  The 
great  difference  between  the  two  is  in  the  type  of  music  used 
and  in  the  way  it  is  used.  The  appeal  of  the  films  is  frankly 
made  to  the  popular  taste,  hence  the  ordinary  popular  music 
finds  a  very  prominent  place  In  the  programmes  of  music  for 
picture  theaters.  This  Is  entirely  right  and  proper  and  the 
music  used  varies  with  the  type  of  picture  shown  and  with  the 
character  of  the  audience.  Many  of  the  better  picture 
theaters  use  classical  music  to  a  large  extent  because  their 
audiences  are  made  up  of  people  who  understand  and  appre- 
ciate the  best  in  music.  In  general,  however,  the  music  that 
is  suited  for  a  pageant  is  of  a  better  type  than  that  used  for 
the  pictures. 

The  treatment  is  also  different  in  that  the  pageant  music 
is  subordinated  more  completely  to  the  action  of  the  pageant 
than  is  the  case  with  the  music  in  the  picture  houses.  The 
very  rapid  development  of  the  story  on  the  screen  makes  it 
difficult  to  follow  every  change  of  mood  with  an  appropriate 
change  of  music.  In  a  pageant  the  episodes  are  usually  so 
arranged  that  there  is  no  necessity  for  a  change  of  theme 
in  the  music  throughout  the  episode.  Whenever  many 
changes  in  the  music  are  required  in  the  course  of  an  episode 
one  is  fairly  safe  in  assuming  that  the  author  has  not  fol- 
lowed the  pageant  form  very  closely  but  has  used  a  mixture 
of  dramatic  forms  and  has  called  the  result  a  pageant.  The 
music  for  a  dramatic  entertainment  of  this  sort  is  very  diffi- 

55 


56  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

cult  to  handle.  As  a  matter  of  fact  such  a  so-called  pageant 
would  better  be  discarded  entirely  or  else  largely  rewritten. 
The  alternative  to  this  is  to  make  the  music  the  important 
feature  and  subordinate  the  action  to  It.  The  result  may  be 
pleasing  but  It  is  not  pageantry  in  the  proper  sense  of  the 
term. 

Function  of  Pageant  Music. — The  music  for  a 
pageant  should  simply  form  a  background  for  the  action  of 
the  pageant.  It  should  never  become  the  prominent  feature 
of  the  pageant  but  should  be  subordinated  to  the  action  and 
should  be  used  only  In  such  ways  as  will  support  and  intensify 
the  emotional  appeal  made  by  the  action  of  the  pageant  and 
by  the  stage  pictures.  It  should  bear  the  same  relation  to  the 
action  of  the  pageant  that  an  accompaniment  bears  to  the 
solo.  In  many  pageants  the  orchestra  plays  almost  con- 
tinuously, especially  during  the  entrances  and  exits  of  episode 
groups.  While  the  characters  are  speaking  the  music  should 
sink  nearly  to  silence  and  then  should  swell  out  again  as  the 
action  without  speech  is  resumed.  The  music  helps  set  the 
tempo  for  the  whole  performance,  yet  It  Is  always  secondary 
to  the  action  of  the  pageant.  The  audience  should  not  be 
acutely  conscious  of  the  music  except  at  specified  places.  The 
emotional  appeal  of  the  music  should,  however,  be  depended 
upon  to  intensify  the  effect  of  the  lines  and  of  the  action  of 
the  pageant  throughout  the  performance. 

Standard  and  Original  Compositions. — It  Is  only 
occasionally,  and  for  certain  parts,  that  it  is  an  advantage  to 
use  original  music.  Usually  suitable  music  can  be  found  in 
the  works  of  standard  composers  and  in  collections  of  folk 
and  national  songs.  The  selection  of  the  music  to  be  used 
should  be  made  carefully  with  the  character  and  intended 
tempo  of  the  different  episodes  kept  clearly  In  mind.  It 
would  he  as  inappropriate  to  use  a  minuet  for  a  Roman 
processional  as  it  would  be  to  use  a  dignified  but  rather 
noisy  march  for  all  the  phases  of  a  Joan  of  Arc  episode. 
The  music  selected  lor  the  Roman  episode  in  the  Thanks- 


THE    MUSIC  57 

giving  pageant  was  "Antony's  Victory"  (Gruenwald)  from 
the  Antony  and  Cleopatra  suite.  It  has  dignity,  volume,  and 
strongly  marked  rhythm  and  melody,  just  the  characteristics 
best  calculated  to  deepen  the  impression  made  by  a  Roman 
triumphal  procession.  A  French  folk-song  would  be  the 
proper  accompaniment  for  an  episode  dealing  with  the  early 
life  of  Joan  of  Arc  while  a  stately  minuet  would  be  better 
suited  to  an  episode  showing  her  at  the  court  of  the  Dauphin. 
The  music  selected  for  the  Joan  of  Arc  episode  in  the 
Thanksgiving  pageant  was  the  first  number  of  the  Antony 
and  Cleopatra  suite  (Gruenwald)  entitled  "In  the  Arbor." 
The  introduction  with  the  obligato  omitted  made  an  excellent 
processional  hymn  for  the  entrance  of  the  Archbishop  of 
Rheims  and  his  clergy  while  the  romantic  main  theme  of  the 
composition  seemed  very  fitting  accompaniment  for  the 
movements  of  the  court  group. 

It  is  only  for  certain  special  features  of  a  pageant  that 
special  music  must  be  written.  That  composed  for  the 
Mountain,  the  Intervale,  and  the  River  spirits  of  the  Thet- 
ford  Pageant  could  not  well  have  been  dispensed  with. 
Music  written  especially  for  the  occasion  by  someone 
thoroughly  in  harmony  with  the  mountains,  valleys,  and 
rivers  of  the  region  seemed  essential.  The  composer  caught 
the  spirit  of  the  mountains,  the  meadows,  and  the  streams 
and  expressed  it  subtly  through  his  music.  In  a  pageant 
given  at  the  University  of  Missouri  by  the  School  of  Educa- 
tion in  191 6  suitable  music  for  the  words  of  one  of  Froebel's 
action  songs  was  not  available  so  one  of  the  students  wrote 
a  melody  to  accompany  the  words  and  orchestrated  it.  The 
next  year  the  same  student  set  to  music  the  song  of  Autolycus 
from  The  Winter's  Tale  to  use  in  a  pageant  dealing  with  the 
development  of  literary  forms.  Usually,  however,  music 
already  orchestrated  meets  all  the  requirements  of  a  pageant 
and  saves  an  infinite  amount  of  time,  labor,  and  money. 

Arranging  the  Music. — When  folk  and  national 
songs  are  used  it  is  often  necessary  for  the  musical  director  to 


58  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

arrange  them  for  the  particular  instruments  that  are  avail- 
able. The  air  needs  to  be  well  marked  while  the  harmony 
is  of  only  secondary  importance  in  music  of  this  character. 
A  strongly  marked  melody  with  enough  harmony  to  avoid 
monotony  is  all  that  is  required.  What  is  desired  is  a  suit- 
able accompaniment  for  certain  pageant  action.  It  is  often 
well  when  arranging  folk  songs  for  pageant  use  to  arrange 
them  for  only  a  few  instruments,  preferably  the  strings. 
National  songs  usually  need  greater  volume  and  hence  all 
sections  of  the  orchestra  need  to  be  included.  Under  these 
circumstances  it  is  well  to  give  the  melody  to  the  violins  and 
wood  winds  and  perhaps  part  of  the  trumpets,  while  the  other 
string  and  brass  instruments  fill  in  the  harmony.  No  set 
plan  can  be  followed,  since  the  instruments  available  and  the 
skill  of  the  players  must  determine  this  detail  of  the  work  of 
the  musical  director. 

The  Pageant  Orchestra. — An  important  duty  of  the 
musical  director  is  the  selecting  of  the  members  of  the 
orchestra.  Since  the  musical  director  is  often  a  member  of 
the  community  a  knowledge  of  the  talent  available  is  taken 
for  granted.  Were  the  pageant  master  to  direct  the  orchestra 
he  would  be  obliged  to  depend  upon  the  knowledge  of  the 
pageant  committee  in  selecting  the  orchestra  members.  Only 
general  principles  can  be  given  for  the  selection.  If  the 
pageant  is  to  be  given  indoors  a  small  orchestra  with  the 
strings  and  wood  winds  predominating  will  be  found  the 
best.  For  an  out-of-door  pageant  a  large  orchestra  with  a 
strong  brass  section  is  better.  There  are  often  local  com- 
plications that  practically  force  the  musical  director  to  use 
combinations  of  instruments  that  are  not  desirable  from  a 
musical  standpoint,  but  since  our  premise  is  that  a  pageant  Is, 
or  should  be,  a  strictly  community  project  the  good  of  the 
community  must  be  taken  as  the  standard  of  judgment  in 
settling  this  as  well  as  all  other  questions  of  pageant  man- 
agement. A  pageant  is  not,  primarily,  a  "show"  or  a  con- 
cert.     It  is  a  community  project  expressing  an  ideal  of  the 


THE   MUSIC  59 

community  as  a  whole,  and  all  questions  affecting  the  pageant 
should  be  settled  with  this  in  mind. 

As  has  been  stated  before,  fairly  proficient  amateurs 
make  much  better  material  for  the  pageant  orchestra  than 
do  regular  theater  players.  There  are  two  principal  reasons 
for  this.  First,  the  theater  musicians  are  all  members  of  the 
union  and  so  have  a  rather  high  fixed  price  per  hour.  There 
is  nothing  to  be  said  against  this  ordinarily,  but  for  a  pageant 
It  Is  a  different  matter  and  Is  difficult  to  handle.  Pageant 
funds  are  seldom  extensive  enough  to  allow  so  great  an 
expense  for  a  single  item,  no  matter  how  important  an  Item  it 
may  be.  Then,  as  soon  as  the  paid  professional  element 
enters  Into  the  pageant  the  spontaneous  community  aspect 
of  it  Is  lost  and  it  takes  on  the  character  of  the  professional 
theater  performance.  Another  union  restriction  that  is 
entirely  proper  under  ordinary  circumstances  but  which  is 
very  troublesome  In  arranging  for  the  pageant  music  is  that 
union  musicians  cannot  play  under  the  direction  of  any  but  a 
union  director  and  the  musical  director  of  a  pageant  is  very 
seldom  a  professional  musician.  Neither  may  they  play  with 
non-union  musicians.  This  professional,  commercial,  tend- 
ency In  a  pageant  Is  to  be  avoided  whenever  possible  for 
reasons  that  are  developed  from  the  nature  of  pageantry. 

The  second  important  reason  for  preferring  amateur 
musicians  Is  that  they  have  fewer  conventional  theater  habits 
of  playing  to  overcome  and  hence  are  more  readily  respon- 
sive to  the  directions  of  the  leader.  This  would  not  be  true, 
of  course,  of  the  large  symphony  orchestras  nor  of  the 
orchestras  of  the  large  metropolitan  theaters  but  these  are  so 
seldom  available  for  pageant  purposes  that  they  need  not  be 
considered  here.  The  orchestra  leader  often  needs  to  take 
very  great  liberties  with  the  score  by  varying  the  tempo  and 
the  volume  in  very  different  manner  from  that  intended  by 
the  composer.  This  is  justified  because  of  the  subordinate 
value  of  the  music  in  the  pageant  performance.  Its  position 
Is  secondary  to  that  of  the  action  and  hence  It  must  be  modi- 
fied to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  action.     Professional 


6o  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

musicians  often  find  it  difficult  to  adjust  themselves  to  these 
unusual  variations. 

Another  advantage  that  the  amateur  has  over  the  pro- 
fessional musician  is  that  he  can  usually  afford  to  spend  a 
much  greater  amount  of  time  at  rehearsals.  Joint  rehearsals 
of  episode  groups  with  the  orchestra  must  be  held  if  the 
performance  is  to  go  smoothly.  The  orchestra  must  have 
enough  rehearsals,  by  itself,  to  ensure  familiarity  with  the 
music  before  it  is  called  to  rehearse  with  episode  groups. 
These  rehearsals  of  the  orchestra  with  the  different  episode 
groups  must  be  held  whenever  the  music  forms  an  integral 
part  of  the  episode  as  is  the  case  when  there  is  dancing, 
singing,  or  where  fine  co-ordination  is  desired  between  the 
climax  of  the  action  and  the  musical  climax.  These 
group  rehearsals  are  almost  indispensable  if  long  delays  at 
full  rehearsals  are  to  be  avoided.  There  is  no  time  at  full 
rehearsals  for  the  orchestra  to  stop  and  study  out  any  detail 
of  the  music.  Neither  is  there  any  good  excuse  for 
the  rehearsal  to  be  interrupted  by  the  necessity  for  the 
orchestra  and  any  small  group  of  actors  to  co-ordinate  their 
work.  All  this  should  have  been  done  at  preliminary 
rehearsals  of  the  groups  and  the  orchestra.  The  full  re- 
hearsals are  for  the  purpose  of  putting  together  the  pageant 
and  making  such  final  changes  as  are  demanded  by  the  unity 
of  the  pageant  as  a  whole.  The  orchestra  should  be  ready 
to  go  through  these  full  rehearsals  with  no  hesitation.  If 
the  whole  orchestra  cannot  attend  all  of  the  group  rehearsals 
the  pianist  and  such  other  members  as  can  attend  are  very 
often  able  to  carry  the  whole  orchestra  along  at  the  full 
rehearsals. 

Placing  of  Orchestra. — The  placing  of  the  orchestra 
is  an  important  matter.  It  should  be  so  placed  that  it  is 
not  interposed  between  the  audience  and  the  stage.  This 
is  nearly  impossible  in  an  indoor  performance  because  of  the 
construction  of  the  buildings.  One  of  the  most  effective 
pageants  the   author  has  ever  seen  was  given   in   a   small 


THE  MUSIC  6i 

auditorium  with  a  balcony.  The  orchestra  was  placed  at  the 
rear  of  the  center  of  this  balcony  and  was  thus  entirely  out 
of  the  range  of  vision  of  the  audience.  The  emotional  effect 
was  very  marked.  Other  elements  entered  largely  into  this 
especially  successful  performance  but  the  placing  of  the 
orchestra  was  an  important  factor.  The  pageant  of  Thet- 
ford,  mentioned  before,  had  the  orchestra  placed  in  a  special 
booth  at  one  side  of  the  stage  so  that  it  was  at  the  right  of 
the  audience  instead  of  being  between  the  audience  and  the 
stage.  In  an  out-of-door  pageant  the  orchestra  could  be 
hidden  from  the  audience  by  a  screen  of  greens  that  might 
form  a  part  of  the  stage  setting. 

Orchestral  Difficulties.  —  Orchestras  sometimes 
have  considerable  difficulty  in  changing  from  one  piece  of 
music  to  the  next  because  of  the  putting  away  of  the  first 
piece  and  finding  the  second.  Any  delay  here  is  fatal  to  the 
impression  that  is  being  made  by  the  pageant  because  this 
change  of  music  often  comes  at  a  crucial  point  in  the  action. 
About  the  only  time  that  can  safely  be  allowed  for  this 
change  of  music  is  when  the  spokesman  for  the  central  fig- 
ures is  introducing  a  new  episode.  This  is  not  usually  a  long 
time  and  yet  the  orchestra  must  be  ready  to  resume  playing 
as  soon  as  these  lines  are  spoken.  The  audience  has  been 
told  what  it  is  going  to  see  and  if  it  is  kept  waiting  while  the 
orchestra  arranges  music  its  attention  wanders  and  the  spell 
of  the  pageant  is  broken. 

Many  devices  have  been  resorted  to  in  order  that  these 
delays  might  be  reduced  to  a  minimum.  The  members  of 
the  orchestra  seldom  have  time  to  follow  the  action  with  the 
pageant  book.  The  best  substitute  is  a  typed  programme  of 
the  music,  by  episodes,  which  can  be  pinned  to  the  music  rack 
where  it  is  always  visible.  With  this  in  view  and  with  the 
music  arranged  in  the  order  in  which  it  is  to  be  played  there 
should  be  very  little  trouble  through  delays.  The  pianist 
will  need  an  assistant  who  will  sit  beside  him  and  find  the 
music  as  it  is  needed  and  put  away  that  which  has  been  used. 


62  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

It  Is  often  well  to  train  boy  or  girl  scouts  to  do  this  and 
assign  one  to  each  member  of  the  orchestra.  So  many  boys 
and  girls  of  to-day,  through  their  public  school  training,  have 
at  least  a  superficial  knowledge  of  music  that  it  is  easy  to 
find  enough  in  any  troop  to  serve  in  this  capacity. 

A  pageant  given  out  of  doors  has  special  problems  for 
the  musicians.  Some  have  been  spoken  of  in  connection 
with  the  work  of  the  musical  director.  One  that  is  of  par- 
ticular importance  so  far  as  the  individual  orchestra  mem- 
bers are  concerned  is  the  keeping  of  the  music  in  place  on 
the  racks.  The  slightest  puff  of  wind,  no  matter  how  gentle, 
will  scatter  the  music.  Clothespins  of  the  spring  variety  are 
often  used  to  hold  the  music  in  place.  If  the  wnnd  is  at  all 
strong  and  the  music  Is  clamped  to  the  ordinary  metal  music 
racks  there  is  danger  of  racks  and  music  being  upset 
together.  In  extremities  of  this  sort  boy  scouts  may  again 
be  called  into  service,  one  for  each  stand,  to  hold  the  music 
in  place  and  the  rack  upright.  Absurd  as  this  may  appear  at 
first  thought  it  has  been  resorted  to  in  more  than  one  case 
and  has  always  been  found  a  satisfactory  method  of  over- 
coming the  difficulty.  It  is  a  very  serious  matter  for  even 
half  of  the  orchestra  to  be  deprived  of  music  in  the  midst  of 
an  episode.  It  is  much  better  to  arrange  for  service  from 
the  scouts  than  to  have  the  music  stopped  by  a  sudden  wind 
when  no  precautions  have  been  taken. 

Pageant  Songs. — The  introduction  of  songs  not  Intrin- 
sically related  to  the  pageant  is  of  doubtful  dramatic  value. 
They  do  lend  variety  but  if  at  the  same  time  they  lessen 
rather  than  increase  the  unity  of  the  theme  of  the  pageant 
they  are  a  liabiHty  instead  of  an  asset.  The  one  excuse  of 
variety  is  not  sufficient  ground  for  their  being  included.  In 
many  cases  songs  do  belong  naturally  in  certain  episodes. 
This  was  true  of  the  song  used  in  Episode  VII  of  the 
Savannah  Centennial  Pageant.  The  song  was  originally 
composed  in  honor  of  Lafayette's  visit  to  Savannah  and  was 
sung  at  a  dinner  given  in  his  honor.    The  song,  therefore,  Is 


THE  MUSIC  63 

an  essential  part  of  an  episode  dealing  with  Lafayette's  visit. 
The  same  thing  is  true  of  the  hymn  sung  by  the  Bethesda 
boys  in  Episode  I  of  the  same  pageant.  This  episode  is  not 
based  upon  fact  but  is  none  the  less  convincing,  dramatically, 
and  the  hymn  is  felt  to  be  an  appropriate  part  of  such  an 
event. 

Another  use  of  songs  in  a  pageant  Is  shown  in  the  open- 
ing and  closing  choruses  of  the  Thanksgiving  pageant.  The 
audience  joined  in  the  singing  of  these  two  songs  and  by  that 
participation  became  to  that  extent  identified  with  the 
pageant.  The  intention  was  to  make  every  person  in  the 
audience  feel  a  part  of  the  pageant  and  become  personally 
identified  with  the  action.  Such  an  opening  chorus  helps 
materially  in  establishing  a  sympathetic  attitude  on  the  part 
of  the  audience  towards  the  pageant.  The  hymn  of  praise 
used  as  the  opening  chorus  did  more  than  this.  It  established 
the  type  of  emotional  response  that  was  to  be  the  key-note  of 
the  whole  pageant,  and  thus  not  only  helped  to  unify  the 
audience  but  prepared  directly  for  the  proper  response  to 
the  appeal  of  the  pageant. 

A  pageant  dealing  with  the  history  of  education  Intro- 
duced a  violin  solo  into  the  episode  showing  the  modern 
extension  of  higher  education  to  include  painting,  philosophy, 
literature,  and  music.  Philosophy  argued  the  case  for  equal 
rights  and  responsibilities  for  men  and  women.  Literature 
and  painting  expressed  their  spheres  in  pantomime.  Music 
played  a  violin  solo.  As  many  as  four  different  ideas  will  not 
often  be  compressed  into  the  space  of  one  episode  but  here 
the  ideas  were  so  closely  related  that  no  sense  of  inconsistency 
was  felt.  This  same  pageant  contained  the  episode  mentioned 
as  making  use  of  the  Froebel  motion  song.  The  mother, 
in  educating  her  very  young  children,  made  use  of  games  and 
songs.  It  was  fitting  in  an  episode  showing  this  type  of 
education  that  the  mother  should  sing  the  song  and  act  It 
with  the  child.  The  fact  that  the  song  was  very  beautifully 
sung  did  not  affect  the  integrity  of  the  episode  but  it  did 
increase  the  pleasure  of  the  audience.     When  special  music 


64  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

is  an  essential  part  of  the  episode  action  it  may  be  used  to 
advantage.     Otherwise  it  would  better  be  omitted. 

Entrance  and  Exit  Music. — One  very  interesting 
part  of  pageants  would  be  very  flat  and  comparatively 
uninteresting  were  it  not  for  the  musical  accompaniment. 
This  part  is  the  long  entrances  and  exits  of  pageant  groups. 
There  seems  neither  rhyme  nor  reason  to  the  entrance  of  a 
group  of  pageant  figures  down  a  long  aisle  of  an  auditorium 
on  their  way  to  the  stage  unless  there  is  a  background  of 
music  to  give  it  effect.  The  persons  in  the  groups  feel 
exceedingly  awkward  when  called  upon  to  make  such 
entrances  at  rehearsals  without  the  orchestral  accompani- 
ment but  they  feel  entirely  at  their  ease  when  the  orchestra 
is  playing.  There  seems  to  be  something  rather  funda- 
mental about  this  feeling  and  it  is  shared  to  a  great  extent 
by  those  who  witness  the  entrances.  The  same  thing  holds 
good  with  regard  to  pantomimic  acting.  Silent  acting  would 
be  uninteresting  by  itself  but  it  acquires  new  values  through 
the  music  that  accompanies  it  and  thus  becomes  very  much 
worth  while.  The  music  may  not  be  noticed  particularly  for 
itself.    It  only  contributes  to  the  effect  of  the  acting. 


V.    THE  CAST 

Selecting  the  Cast. — The  aim,  in  selecting  the  cast 
of  characters  for  a  pageant,  is  to  get  persons  who  will  look 
the  parts  and  who  have  dramatic  ability  either  already 
developed  or  latent.  Only  for  the  few  parts  that  have  lines 
is  there  need  for  good  speaking  voices  as  well.  The  selection 
of  persons  who  look  the  parts  implies  a  very  complete 
acquaintance  with  photographs  of  historical  personages,  or 
if  these  are  lacking  with  the  conception  of  them  as  expressed 
by  leading  artists.  Unfortunately  the  ideas  of  episode 
directors  cannot  be  trusted  on  this  point  to  any  marked 
degree.  There  will  be,  of  course,  episode  directors  who  are 
either  already  familiar  with  this  historical  material  or  who 
will  inform  themselves  concerning  it.  Generally  they  do  not 
know  and  seldom  take  the  trouble  to  find  out.  The  pageant 
master,  then,  is  often  the  only  person  connected  with  a 
pageant  who  will  know.  He  may  not  know  what  Lafayette 
or  Julius  Caesar  looked  like  in  the  flesh  but  professional 
pride  will  in  that  case  compel  him  to  inform  himself. 

The  patriotic  pageant  given  by  the  Woman's  Committee, 
Missouri  Division,  Council  of  National  Defense,  19 17- 
191 8,  in  seventeen  different  places  called  for  a  person  to 
represent  Lafayette.  The  pageant  master  was  the  same 
person  in  all  the  places  but  the  episode  directors  were  differ- 
ent for  each  place.  The  type  of  person  presented  for 
approval  by  the  seventeen  different  episode  directors  as  being 
their  idea  of  what  Lafayette  looked  like  when  he  first  came 
to  offer  his  services  to  Washington  ranged  from  a  rather 
plump  blond  man  of  twenty-five  to  a  very  tall,  thin,  dark 
man  of  fifty  years  of  age.  In  between  there  were  fifteen 
different  sizes,  shapes,  and  ages.     No  one  of  these  directors 

65 


66  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

knew,  apparently,  that  Lafayette  was  a  slender  youth  only 
nineteen  years  old  when  he  made  his  first  visit  to  this  country 
and  was  given  an  honorary  command.  Sometimes  the 
pageant  master  was  able  to  persuade  the  episode  director 
that  a  young  man  should  be  substituted  but  usually  they  were 
sincere  in  thinking  that  the  person  of  their  choice  was  a  good 
likeness  of  the  French  nobleman.  The  desire  to  give  impor- 
tant persons  a  prominent  place  in  the  pageant  and  thus 
secure  their  interest  and  support  may  have  influenced  the 
episode  directors  in  some  cases,  and  there  are  circumstances 
when  it  would  be  well  to  sacrifice  historical  accuracy  to 
community  interests. 

It  may  well  be  argued  that  in  such  cases,  where  there 
seems  to  be  no  definite  popular  conception  of  the  personal 
appearance  of  an  historical  character,  it  makes  little  diflier- 
ence  what  sort  of  a  person  is  given  the  part.  This  is  doubt- 
less true  to  a  great  extent.  On  the  other  hand,  a  pageant 
master  who  realizes  the  educational  opportunities  offered  by 
a  pageant  is  not  quite  content  to  be  anything  but  as  accurate, 
historically,  as  is  possible  with  the  resources  at  his  command. 
In  a  community  project  such  as  a  pageant  it  is  often  better  to 
sacrifice  dramatic  and  even  historical  verity  than  to  insist  on 
their  preservation  at  the  expense  of  community  solidarity. 

This  discussion  brings  out  very  clearly  what  has  been 
spoken  of  in  chapters  dealing  with  other  phases  of  the 
pageant;  the  difference  between  the  commercial  drama  and 
the  community  pageant.  The  commercial  drama  exists  for 
its  own  sake  and  in  it  dramatic  unity  and  verity  should  be 
preserved  at  all  costs.  No  other  influence  should  interfere 
in  any  way.  But  the  community  pageant,  and  all  real 
pageants  should  be  community  pageants,  is  a  medium 
through  which  the  community  life  may  be  expressed,  built 
up,  and  co-ordinated.  It  exists  for  the  sake  of  the  com- 
munity first  and  is  a  dramatic  expression  as  a  secondary 
matter,  'f'he  dramatic  verity  of  a  pageant  can  be  sacrificed, 
then,  wlien  the  interests  of  the  community  demand  it. 

Appropriate  Casting. — The  difficulty  in  finding  suit- 


THE  CAST  67 

able  persons  to  take  the  part  of  Lafayette,  cited  in  a 
previous  paragraph,  indicates  an  important  factor  in  the 
success  of  the  pageant  from  an  artistic  point  of  view,  namely, 
the  age  of  the  character  represented  and  the  age  of  the  per- 
son taking  the  part.  This  is  implied  in  the  fact  that  a  very 
young  person  would  not  ordinarily  be  selected  as  a  suitable 
type  to  take  the  part  of  an  old  person.  Yet  theater  traditions 
are  so  strong  with  us  that  many  directors  are  inclined  to 
select  for  dramatic  ability  alone  and  trust  to  makeup  to 
supply  the  necessary  physical  characteristics.  It  may  be 
necessary  and  desirable  to  do  this  in  the  theater,  although  it 
is  to  be  seriously  questioned  even  there,  but  in  a  pageant  it 
is  almost  fatal  to  the  impression  of  sincerity  that  should  be 
the  key-note  of  a  pageant.  It  is  just  as  absurd  to  have  a 
very  young  person  impersonating  extreme  age  as  it  is  for  a 
person  well  along  in  years  to  take  the  part  of  a  very  young 
man  or  woman.  Young  persons  can  assume  the  physical 
infirmities  of  age  with  some  degree  of  success,  although  they 
usually  exaggerate  them.  It  is  almost  impossible  for  any 
but  the  most  highly  trained  and  experienced  actors  to  assume 
the  mental  aspects  of  age  and  this  training  and  experience 
can  only  be  acquired  through  years  of  effort  which  make  the 
impersonation  not  so  much  of  a  character  part,  after  all,  for 
the  one  acting  it. 

An  important  feature  of  selecting  the  cast  for  a  pageant, 
then,  is  to  find  persons  who  are  of  the  right  type  and  also  of 
approximately  the  same  age  as  the  characters  they  are  to 
represent.  There  is  never  any  serious  difiiculty  in  persuad- 
ing people  past  their  first  youth  to  take  part  in  a  pageant 
because  of  the  nature  and  purpose  of  the  pageant.  People 
who  never  would  consent  to  be  in  a  play  will  very  readily 
agree  to  take  a  part  in  a  pageant  because  of  the  nature  of 
the  acting  in  a  pageant.  The  fact  that  it  is  a  community 
project  appeals  to  them,  the  dignified  treatment  also  appeals 
to  them,  the  lack  of  dialogue  Is  an  incentive,  and  finally,  the 
dramatic  instinct  never  atrophies  but  functions  through  life 
whenever  conventional  inhibitions  are  removed  through 
public  sentiment. 


68  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

Character  Parts. — Moving  picture  directors  are  com- 
ing to  realize  the  limitations  of  makeup  as  a  substitute  for 
the  right  kind  of  actor  more  and  more  as  their  art  develops. 
This  does  not  necessarily  mean  that  they  are  discarding  the 
makeup  box.  It  does  mean  that  they  are  discarding  the 
excessive  use  of  makeup  and  are  using  it  more  intelligently. 
They  are  also  selecting  their  actors  with  better  discrimina- 
tion. It  is  within  a  comparatively  short  time  that  film  actors 
have  been  chosen  because  of  their  age.  That  is  to  some 
extent  an  exaggeration,  yet  in  recent  films  the  characters  that 
are  old  in  the  story  are  represented  by  persons  of  approx- 
imately the  same  age  in  the  picture.  Formerly  the  film 
mother  was  so  unmistakably  made  up  to  look  the  correct 
age  that  the  action  was  often  made  ludicrous.  Advancing 
years  bring  such  unvarying  characteristics,  physical  and 
mental,  to  the  majority  of  us  that  youth  cannot  hope  to 
simulate  them  convincingly. 

Pageant  treatment  brings  the  characters  under  almost  as 
close  a  scrutiny  as  the  camera  and  character  makeup  and 
subterfuges  of  all  sorts  are  fully  as  evident  as  in  motion 
pictures.  The  use  of  the  aisles  for  entrances  and  exits  brings 
the  actors  into  immediate  proximity  to  the  audience  and  any 
but  appropriate  casting  of  parts  is  evident  and  the  desired 
illusion  is  destroyed.  Where  any  really  serious  acting  is 
required  physical  characteristics  that  are  obviously  assumed 
detract  from  the  sincerity  of  the  action  to  exactly  the  extent 
to  which  they  distract  the  attention  of  the  audience  from  the 
acting. 

Pageant  Acting. — Dramatic  ability  was  the  second 
qualification  mentioned  as  desirable  in  pageant  actors.  A 
pageant  master  soon  learns  to  look  for  this  ability  in  very 
unexpected  quarters.  The  dramatic  instinct  may  remain 
dormant  for  years  and  then  suddenly  stir  to  life  when  a  suit- 
able medium  is  found.  The  one  who  has  dramatic  ability  of 
the  kind  needed  in  pageantry  may  be  entirely  unconscious  of 
it  until  nn  opportunity  to  demonstrate  it  arrives  and  then 
latent  ability  of  a  high  order  will  show  itself. 


THE  CAST  69 

Pageant  acting  is  more  nearly  allied  to  the  pantomimic 
art  than  to  any  other  branch  of  the  drama.  The  technic  of 
it  seems  to  be  quite  different  from  that  of  the  motion  picture, 
although  at  first  thought  it  might  seem  to  be  the  same.  It  is 
more  nearly  like  the  acting  in  the  modern  drama  of  ideas 
than  it  is  like  the  acting  required  by  the  earlier  drama.  Per- 
haps if  Greek  drama  could  be  revived  in  its  original  form  we 
would  recognize  many  points  of  resemblance  to  pageant 
acting.  There  is  little  or  no  opportunity  to  portray  the 
development  of  character,  as  the  pageant  seldom  deals  with 
that  phase  of  life.  The  thing  that  pageant  actors  must 
possess  is  the  ability  to  express,  usually  without  the  help  of 
lines,  character  that  is  already  developed. 

In  the  Thanksgiving  pageant  the  only  opportunity  for 
acting,  as  such,  is  in  the  part  of  Augustus  in  Episode  III  and 
in  Episode  VI  where  the  things  Columbus  has  brought  back 
from  the  New  World  are  shown  to  the  court  of  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella.  There  is  opportunity  for  considerable  panto- 
mime in  the  latter  episode.  In  the  other  episodes  the  duty 
of  those  taking  the  parts  is  to  look  like  the  persons  they 
represent  and  see  that  the  grouping  on  the  stage  is  balanced 
and  appropriate  as  seen  from  the  audience.  Some  people 
have  a  natural  feeling  for  stage  grouping  and  they  are  the 
ones  who  should  be  selected  to  have  prominent  places  in 
those  episodes  depending  upon  such  groupings  for  their 
effects.    They  instinctively  take  the  right  places. 

An  experienced  director  learns  to  pick  out  from  a  group 
of  people  those  who  will  have  ability  of  the  sort  necessary  in 
a  pageant.  He  acquires  an  almost  intuitive  knowledge  of 
what  can  be  expected  from  different  people  and  is  able  to 
pick  out,  on  the  street  or  at  social  gatherings,  those  who  will 
be  valuable  in  different  parts.  Their  physical  characteristics 
have  an  important  part  in  this  but  their  mental  processes  as 
evidenced  by  their  actions  is  the  thing  that  appeals  quite  as 
strongly  to  the  pageant  master. 

Principal  Parts. — Those  parts  with  lines  must  be 
taken  by  persons  with  the  necessary  physical  appearance  and 


70  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

speaking  voices  that  have  carrying  power,  A  loud  voice 
often  does  not  carry  as  well  as  one  of  different  timbre  but 
of  less  volume.  Enunciation  and  articulation  have  very 
much  to  do  with  the  carrying  power  of  voices.  The  person 
with  a  good  singing  voice  very  often  has  a  poor  speal^ing 
voice.  The  only  way  to  make  sure  of  the  speaking  parts  is 
to  try  all  who  are  in  any  way  eligible  In  the  place  where  the 
pageant  will  be  given.  It  is  especially  difficult  to  find  people 
whose  voices  will  carry  out  of  doors.  Conditions  are  so 
different  from  even  the  large  auditoriums  that  only  those 
who  are  especially  gifted  are  able  to  make  the  lines  heard 
any  distance  from  the  stage.  An  example  of  this  difficulty 
even  with  trained  actors  was  cited  in  Chapter  III  (page  46) . 
On  the  other  hand  persons  with  no  training  and  very  little 
experience  often  show  great  facility  in  so  placing  their  voices 
that  they  carry  great  distances.  In  the  Jefferson  City 
pageant  the  group  of  central  figures  was  stationed  at  least 
half  way  up  the  very  long  flight  of  steps  leading  to  the  main 
entrance  to  the  capltol  building  while  the  audience  stretched 
for  many  rods  out  in  front  towards  the  street.  No  exact 
figures  are  available  but  the  street  was  probably  thirty  rods 
from  the  woman  who  had  the  principal  part.  She  had  had  no 
special  training  and  no  great  amount  of  experience,  yet  every 
word  of  her  lines  could  be  heard  and  understood,  which  is 
an  entirely  different  matter,  nearly  to  the  street.  This  Is 
an  unusual  case  but  It  is  cited  to  show  that  It  is  well  for  a 
pageant  master  to  give  every  person  interested  an  oppor- 
tunity to  try  for  the  speaking  parts  regardless  of  previous 
experience  or  the  entire  lack  of  it. 

Central  Figures. — The  cast  of  the  central  figures 
should,  naturally,  be  selected  by  the  pageant  committee  and 
the  pageant  master.  The  most  satisfactory  way  is  for  the 
pageant  committee  to  propose  candidates  for  these  parts  and 
then  for  the  pageant  master  to  try  the  candidates  on  the 
stage  and  select  the  ones  he  deems  best  fitted  for  the  parts. 
When  there  is  time  for  open  trials  interest  in  the  pageant 


THE  CAST  71 

will  be  stimulated  if  the  trials  are  opened  to  all  who  desire 
to  try  for  the  parts  of  the  central  figures.  Very  often  unusual 
talent  for  pageant  acting  will  be  discovered  in  these  open 
trials.  Usually  the  pageant  master  will  be  able  to  place  to 
advantage  in  the  different  episodes  some  of  those  who  have 
tried  for  the  parts  in  the  central  group  and  who  have  shown 
characteristics  essential  to  the  success  of  some  particular 
episode. 

Episode  Casts. — The  casts  of  characters  for  the  episodes 
will  be  selected  by  the  episode  directors  in  consultation  with 
the  pageant  master.  Here,  again,  interest  is  often  stimulated 
if  trials  for  important  parts  can  be  opened  to  all.  Unre- 
stricted trials  often  result  in  a  very  great  loss  of  time  and 
energy.  It  is  better  for  the  episode  director  to  ask  a  group 
of  people  to  meet  the  pageant  master  and  then  when  all  are 
together  the  persons  who  are  to  take  the  particular  parts 
can  be  selected.  This  is  a  very  satisfactory  way,  as  the  group 
as  a  whole  and  the  relation  of  individual  figures  to  the 
remainder  of  the  group  may  be  fixed  with  much  greater 
certainty  than  where  the  members  of  the  group  appear  one 
by  one.  No  person  can  carry  in  mind  the  relative  heights 
and  postures  of  many  different  people. 

A  good  plan  In  casting  the  episode  groups  Is  for  the 
pageant  master  to  meet  the  group  and  explain  the  episode  to 
the  group  as  a  whole.  Then  a  discussion  will  follow  as  to 
how  the  subject  Is  to  be  presented  In  order  that  the  audience 
may  understand  the  Idea  embodied  In  the  episode.  During 
this  discussion  certain  persons  will  appear  to  have  a  better 
conception  of  how  to  express  the  Idea  than  others  will  have. 
These  persons  might  be  asked  in  turn  to  take  certain  leading 
parts  as  the  group  goes  through  the  action.  This  will  pro- 
vide a  comparative  basis  for  judgment  and  the  cast  can  be 
made  up  very  easily. 

Opinion  Is  divided  as  to  whether  or  not  the  episode 
director  should  take  one  of  the  parts  In  his  episode.  It  Is, 
of  course,  out  of  the  question  for  him  to  take  a  part  in  an 


72  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

episode  other  than  his  own,  as  he  must  always  be  with  his 
group.  Many  episode  directors  have  thought  that  they  had 
better  control  of  their  groups  while  on  the  stage  if  they  were 
on  the  stage  with  them.  The  only  way  to  arrange  this  is  for 
the  episode  director  to  be  costumed  and  become  an  integral 
part  of  the  group.  If  the  director  takes  an  important  part  it 
should  occupy  his  attention  to  the  exclusion  of  everything 
else  while  the  episode  is  being  presented.  No  one  can  do  this 
and  at  the  same  time  take  care  of  the  group.  If  many 
rehearsals  have  been  held  it  would  be  possible  for  the  group 
to  be  left  to  manage  itself,  largely,  but  this  is  seldom  the 
case.  It  is  possible,  though,  for  an  episode  director  to  take 
a  minor  part  and  so  actually  be  on  the  stage  with  his  group 
and  direct  the  action.  This  is  an  advantage  where  the 
rehearsals  have  been  slighted  but  it  is  an  advantage  that  Is 
secured  at  the  price  of  lessened  efficiency  while  the  group  is 
off  the  stage.  Experience  has  shown  that  a  director  In  cos- 
tume Is  not  so  well  able  to  control  a  group  of  people  while 
off  the  stage  as  one  who  is  not  distracted  by  the  necessity  of 
keeping  his  own  costume  in  condition  for  a  stage  appearance. 
In  an  emergency  the  episode  director  must  be  ready  to 
take  a  part  and  direct  his  episode  from  the  stage  as  a  director 
stationed  In  the  wings  Is  rather  helpless  In  trying  to  have 
the  group  do  the  right  thing  when  they  have  no  Idea  of  what 
they  are  to  do.  An  extreme  example  of  this  Is  provided  by 
the  masque  given  as  a  laboratory  exercise  by  the  pageantry 
class  in  the  Drama  League  Institute  of  1920.  The  masque 
was  given  in  the  municipal  pier  auditorium  of  Chicago.  The 
members  of  the  class,  who  were  acting  as  episode  directors, 
had  no  acquaintance  In  Chicago,  so  had  no  way  of  getting 
people  to  take  the  parts  in  their  episodes.  They  went  out 
to  the  pier  early  on  the  afternoon  of  the  day  the  masque  was 
to  be  given  and  collected  from  among  the  children  and  young 
people  who  were  visiting  the  pier  for  purposes  of  recreation 
enough  to  fill  up  the  ranks  of  their  episode  groups.  I  hese 
young  people  had  no  idea  of  what  the  masque  was  about  nor 
of  what  was  expected  of  them.     They  were  put  into  the 


THE   CAST  73 

costumes,  hurried  through  one  brief  rehearsal,  and  then  were 
as  prepared  as  was  possible  under  the  circumstances  for  the 
actual  performance  of  the  masque.  Under  these  conditions 
the  episode  directors  were  obliged  to  go  on  as  leaders  of 
their  groups.  It  was  much  to  their  credit  that  no  serious 
error  occurred  in  the  action  of  any  of  the  episodes. 

A  great  advantage  in  the  selection  of  the  group  casts  by 
the  episode  directors  is  that  every  director  has  a  different 
circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances  from  that  of  every  other 
director  and  by  selecting  from  these  different  circles  many 
different  community  groups  are  brought  into  the  intimate 
relationship  of  the  pageant.  If  the  episode  directors  are 
selected  In  the  first  place  with  this  as  one  of  the  qualifications 
a  real  community  consciousness  may  be  found  to  have 
replaced  the  former  group  consciousness  that  existed  prior 
to  the  pageant. 

Professional  Actors. — The  same  rule  holds  for  the 
cast  of  characters  as  was  suggested  for  the  selection  of  the 
orchestra  members.  Professional  actors  and  actresses  are 
usually  better  left  out  of  the  cast.  They  put  the  same  stamp 
of  the  professional  theater  on  the  action  of  the  pageant  as 
the  theater  orchestra  does  upon  the  music  and  this  should  be 
the  last  influence  one  would  select.  It  helps  break  down  the 
very  spirit  of  community  life  that  the  pageant  is  expected  to 
build  up. 

There  is  a  great  contrast  between  the  acting  of  profes- 
sional players  and  that  of  amateurs  who  must  make  up  the 
greater  part  of  a  pageant  cast  and  the  contrast  is  not  always 
in  favor  of  the  professional.  Acting  that  seems  sincere  on 
the  stage  of  a  theater  with  all  of  its  accessories  in  the  way  of 
lights  and  scenery  seems  theatrical  and  exaggerated  on  a 
pageant  stage  with  little  or  nothing  in  the  way  of  scenery 
and  lighting.  The  studied  art  of  the  theater  is  out  of  keep- 
ing with  the  spontaneous  character  of  pageantry  at  its  best. 
A  pageant  given  in  New  York  soon  after  the  United  States 
entered  the  recent  war  was  probably  one  of  the  most  beau- 


74  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

tiful  that  has  ever  been  presented  in  this  country.  Profes- 
sional actors  and  actresses  took  all  of  the  prominent  parts 
and  possibly  all  of  the  minor  parts  as  well.  This  fact  does 
not,  however,  contradict  the  previous  statements  for  this 
very  beautiful  pageant  was  given  in  a  theater  equipped  with 
everything  art  can  devise  in  the  way  of  scenery  and  lighting 
and  so  the  Illusion  of  the  theater  was  maintained  and  was 
not  brought  into  contrast  with  a  simpler  less  sophisticated 
type  of  acting  and  setting  such  as  is  expected  in  a  community 
pageant.  In  reality  it  was  epic  drama  rather  than  real 
pageantry. 

Several  of  the  large  pageants  of  the  country  have  availed 
themselves  of  the  services  of  actors  and  actresses.  Nothing 
could  be  said  of  the  way  they  carried  their  parts  except  that 
it  is  very  difficult  to  carry  over  to  and  make  effective  in  the 
field  of  pageantry  the  more  detailed  art  of  the  theater  where 
the  action  is  reinforced  by  the  lines.  If  the  pageant  could 
be  given  in  the  theater  building,  as  was  the  one  cited  above, 
and  professional  actors  and  actresses  engaged  for  all  of  the 
parts,  there  is  no  doubt  that  a  more  finished  artistic  produc- 
tion would  result  than  is  possible  with  amateurs;  and  the 
pageant  would  have  been  transformed  into  a  drama.  The 
dramatic  perfection  of  the  pageant  is  not  its  main  purpose 
or  even  one  of  its  principal  aims.  It  is  a  desirable  deta?l  if 
it  can  be  secured  without  sacrificing  the  main  purpose  of  the 
pageant. 

The  business  manager,  who  must  make  both  pageant 
ends  meet,  would  never  recommend  the  engagement  of 
actors  whose  services  are  secured  at  a  price.  Some  extra 
admissions  would  be  sold  because  of  the  fame  of  the  actors 
but  generally  these  would  not  be  proportionate  to  the  added 
expense  of  salaries  and  incidentals  such  as  special  dressing 
rooms  and  attendants.  Anything  that  adds  in  a  marked 
degree  to  the  expense  of  production  is  scrutinized  closely  by 
a  good  business  manager.  He  is  in  a  position  to  know  just 
how  near  the  amount  of  the  income  is  to  the  amount  of  the 
expenditures.     Fvcn  if  the  business  manager  did  think  the 


THE  CAST  75 

salaries  of  the  actors  were  warranted  because  of  increased 
income  from  admissions  the  pageant  committee  would  still 
have  to  decide  whether,  from  a  community  point  of  view,  it 
would  be  wise  to  engage  them. 

An  honest  and  clear  thinking  committee  would  be  obliged 
to  decide  in  the  negative  however  great  an  advantage  it 
would  be  for  the  people  of  the  community  to  see  these 
famous  actors.  The  consistent  thing  for  the  committee  to 
do  would  be  to  use  local  talent  in  the  pageant  and  then  at 
some  other  time  arrange  for  the  appearance  of  the  actors 
under  conditions  favorable  to  their  form  of  dramatic  expres- 
sion. 


VI.     THE  REHEARSALS 

Orchestra  Rehearsals. — The  orchestra  rehearsals 
have  already  been  discussed.  Briefly  the  plan  is  this.  The 
orchestra  will  have  enough  rehearsals  to  familiarize  them- 
selves with  the  pageant  music  which,  by  the  way,  is  not 
difficult  music  as  a  rule.  The  great  difficulty  of  the  orchestra 
will  come  in  getting  used  to  being  stopped  at  any  place  in  the 
music  that  is  required  by  the  action  of  the  episodes  and  in 
finding  the  music  for  the  next  episode  in  the  short  time 
allowed.  The  first  difficulty  cannot  be  overcome  by  separate 
orchestra  rehearsals.  Only  an  approximate  understanding 
between  the  orchestra  leader  and  the  episode  directors  can 
be  reached  at  the  group  rehearsals,  either.  Facility  in  this 
will  be  gained  by  actually  having  to  find  the  music  under 
pageant  conditions  and  this  is  possible  only  at  full 
rehearsals.  As  there  are  seldom  more  than  two  full 
rehearsals  and  often  only  one,  the  latter  difficulty  would 
better  be  taken  care  of  as  was  suggested  in  Chapter  IV 
(page6i). 

The  orchestra,  after  becoming  familiar  with  the  music, 
must  meet  with  the  different  episodes  for  group  rehearsals 
at  which  the  action  of  the  episodes  will  be  planned  and  the 
music  fitted  to  the  action  as  well  as  possible.  If  the  full 
orchestra  cannot  attend  these  group  rehearsals,  and  it  very 
seldom  can,  at  least  the  pianist  and  as  many  of  the  others 
as  possible  should  be  present.  Misfortune  always  descends 
upon  the  orchestra  that  neglects  these  precautions.  Unfor- 
tunately the  misfortune  swamps  not  only  the  orchestra  but 
the  episode  as  well. 

At  the  full  rehearsals  the  orchestra  that  has  followed 
these  suggestions  will  not  cause  any  delay  to  the  progress  of 

76 


THE   REHEARSALS  77 

the  rehearsal.  The  members  will  be  ready  with  the  music 
when  it  is  required,  will  know  how  the  episode  action 
requires  that  it  be  modified  and  modulated,  and  will  help 
materially  in  getting  the  different  parts  put  together  by 
causing  no  vexatious  delays  while  the  pageant  master  strives 
to  explain  to  them  something  they  should  have  learned  at 
group  rehearsals.  Every  interruption  of  a  full  rehearsal  is 
a  serious  matter  because  of  the  large  number  of  people  who 
are  left  standing  about  waiting  for  the  rehearsal  to  be 
resumed.  It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  regain  their  attention  and 
start  the  rehearsal  again. 

Forms  of  Rehearsals. — Two  forms  of  rehearsals  for 
the  pageant  have  already  been  mentioned,  the  group 
rehearsals  and  the  full  rehearsals.  Each  episode  group  will 
work  out  and  perfect  the  action  of  its  episode  and  then  at 
the  full  rehearsals  the  episodes  will  be  put  together  and 
unified. 

Group  Rehearsals. — At  the  group  rehearsals  the 
pageant  master  should  designate  the  position  of  each  group 
when  not  on  the  stage,  fix  definitely  the  entrances  and  exits, 
and  drill  the  group  in  its  action.  If  the  action  is  not  more 
complicated  than  usual  and  if  there  is  no  dance  that  is  a  part 
of  the  episode,  one  group  rehearsal  lasting  an  hour  is  all  that 
will  be  needed.  When  there  is  a  dance  in  an  episode  some 
part  of  the  orchestra  must  attend  the  rehearsals  for  it. 
These  rehearsals  should  be  held  before  the  group  rehearsal 
is  called.  The  musical  director  will  find  his  task  much 
simpler  when  it  comes  to  directing  the  actual  performance  of 
the  pageant  if  he  and  the  pianist,  at  least,  attend  all  such 
rehearsals.  This  is  not  so  formidable  a  matter  as  one  might 
think,  as  there  are  seldom  more  than  two  or  three  such 
episodes  in  any  one  pageant. 

The  position  of  the  pageant  groups  when  not  on  the 
stage  is  difficult  to  arrange.  Out  of  doors  there  is  very  little 
difficulty  but  Inside  all  sorts  of  elements  enter  In  and  com- 
plicate the  work  of  the  pageant  master  and  the  episode 


78  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

directors.  There  Is  no  good  reason  why  pageant  groups 
should  be  kept  out  of  sight  of  the  audience  either  before  or 
after  the  episodes  in  which  they  appear.  There  is  a  dramatic 
tradition  that  actors  must  never  be  seen  by  the  audience 
except  when  they  are  on  the  stage.  This  may  be  supported 
by  good  reasons  in  the  theater  but  in  pageantry  the  presence 
of  costumed  figures  among  the  audience  helps  to  break  down 
purely  artificial  lines  of  demarcation  and  encourages  a  feel- 
ing of  being  a  part  of  the  pageant  in  the  audience.  In  an 
out-of-door  pageant  the  simplest  way  is  to  have  the  episode 
groups  seated  by  episodes  in  such  a  manner  that  it  will  make 
a  minimum  of  disturbance  when  they  leave  to  prepare  for 
their  entrances.  They  may  be  seated  at  the  rear  of  the 
audience,  on  the  side,  or  sit  on  the  ground  as  they  please, 
so  long  as  each  group  stays  together.  It  is  not  well  to  have 
them  stay  apart  from  the  audience  unless  they  can  be  kept  at 
a  distance  sufficient  to  prevent  the  noise  of  talking  from 
being  heard.  However  they  are  seated  the  sections  reserved 
for  the  different  episode  groups  must  be  plainly  marked  so 
that  there  will  be  no  misunderstanding,  and  all  of  the  mem- 
bers of  each  group  should  be  required  to  remain  In  the  sec- 
tion reserved  for  the  group  except  when  they  are  on  the  stage 
or  are  making  entrances  or  exits.  No  one  should  leave  a 
group  except  with  the  knowledge  and  permission  of  the 
director  of  that  episode. 

The  same  precautions  hold  In  an  Indoor  performance 
except  that  still  greater  precautions  are  necessary  in  order 
that  the  talking  of  the  actors  may  not  disturb  the  audience 
and  that  the  noise  of  moving  out  of  the  seats  to  prepare  for 
entrances  and  upon  returning  after  the  episodes  be  reduced 
to  a  minimum.  Those  taking  part  in  a  pageant  often  wish  to 
buy  seats  so  that  they  may  see  as  much  of  the  pageant  as 
possible  to  good  advantage  but  this  should  be  discouraged 
unless  the  whole  group  will  buy  them  In  a  block.  Even  then 
they  shouk]  get  seats  at  the  rear  or  In  a  balcony  because  of 
the  disturbance  made  in  leaving  for  their  episodes.  If  the 
actors  can  be  kept  in  a  different  building  altogether  and  only 
brought   in    for  their  particular  parts   the   comfort  of  the 


THE   REHEARSALS  79 

audience  would  be  greater  but  this  is  almost  never  possible 
both  because  of  lack  of  facilities  and  because  the  actors  wish 
to  see  the  pageant.  The  practical  solution  is  to  reserve 
seats  at  the  rear  and  in  the  balconies  and  assign  episode 
groups  to  seats  nearest  the  place  where  they  will  make  their 
entrances.  This  reduces  the  number  of  seats  that  can  be  sold 
but  the  business  manager  must  make  allowance  for  it  in  his 
original  estimates. 

The  next  matter  that  will  claim  the  attention  of  the 
pageant  master  at  the  group  rehearsals  is  instructing  the 
groups  as  to  the  way  in  which  they  will  make  their  entrances 
and  exits,  and  their  position  while  waiting  for  their  en- 
trances. If  seats  have  been  reserved  for  the  pageant  actors 
they  should  leave  these  seats  at  the  beginning  of  the  episode 
preceding  theirs,  and  go  at  once  to  the  place  from  which 
their  entrance  is  to  be  made.  Allowance  must  be  made  here 
for  narrow  corridors  and  for  the  group  already  on  the 
stage  whose  exit  will  occur  before  the  entrance  of  the  w-aiting 
group.  Where  groups  are  large  and  many  of  them  must  be 
waiting  for  entrances  at  the  same  time,  as  in  Episode  VHI  of 
the  Thanksgiving  pageant,  extreme  care  must  be  exercised  to 
have  them  arranged  in  the  order  of  their  entrances  or  con- 
fusion will  reign.  This  last  Is  a  matter  that  must  be  arranged 
at  the  full  rehearsal.  The  approximate  place  for  each  group 
can,  however,  be  pointed  out  at  the  group  rehearsals. 

After  the  group  has  been  Instructed  as  to  the  seats  to  be 
occupied  and  the  way  in  which  the  entrances  and  exits  are  to 
be  made,  the  group  should  be  called  to  the  stage,  the  sig- 
nificance of  the  episode  explained,  and  then  a  discussion  held 
as  to  the  best  way  in  which  to  portray  the  thing  which  the 
episode  Is  to  present.  During  this  rather  free  discussion  of 
the  action  of  the  episode  some  of  the  individual  members  of 
the  group  will  show  more  than  average  Intelligence  in  under- 
standing the  meaning  of  the  episode  or  catch  the  spirit  in 
which  it  may  be  worked  out  more  clearly  than  others.  These 
should  be  selected  for  the  important  parts  in  the  episode 
and  then  tried  in  turn  in  these  parts  as  the  group  as  a  whole 
goes  through  the  action.     With  this  comparison  as  a  basis 


8o  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

the  parts  should  be  assigned  permanently,  the  episode 
rehearsed  again,  and  then  the  whole  group  sent  to  the  seats 
they  will  occupy  during  the  pageant  to  rehearse  the  episode 
again  from  the  time  they  will  leave  their  seats  until  they  are 
back  in  them  again  at  the  end  of  the  episode.  It  may  be 
necessary  to  do  this  several  times  but  it  should  be  rehearsed 
until  the  group  can  leave  the  seats  without  undue  noise,  make 
the  entrance  as  instructed,  carry  the  action  of  the  episode 
through  convincingly,  make  their  exit,  and  return  to  their 
seats  again  in  an  orderly  and  quiet  manner. 

The  third  matter  spoken  of  as  important  at  the  group 
rehearsals,  the  drilling  in  the  action  by  the  pageant  master 
and  episode  director,  has  been  discussed  in  the  preceding 
paragraph.  The  thing  that  has  not  been  considered  is  the 
part  the  episode  director  will  take  in  the  group  rehearsals. 
He  is  the  one  to  set  the  time  for  the  rehearsal  so  that  it  will 
meet  the  convenience  of  the  pageant  master.  He  must  then 
notify  the  members  of  the  group.  The  pageant  master  will 
hold  the  episode  director  responsible  for  the  attendance  of 
the  group  members.  Since  the  pageant  master  will  not  know 
the  individuals  in  the  group  by  name  the  episode  director  will 
act  as  agent  for  him  in  arranging  the  details  of  the  episode 
and  will  be  able  to  give  valuable  advice  as  to  the  abilities  of 
different  persons. 

As  has  been  stated  earlier  in  the  chapter,  the  episode 
directors  would  better  not  attempt  to  take  a  part  in  the  epi- 
sodes because  of  their  other  duties.  Their  relation  to  their 
groups  is  much  like  that  of  an  officer  to  his  regiment.  Even 
at  rehearsals  this  attitude  must  be  maintained  to  a  certain 
extent.  He  must  see  that  they  are  ready  and  in  their  places. 
He  is  responsible  for  each  member  of  the  group  having  the 
properties  that  are  demanded  by  the  episode,  and  it  is  not 
safe  to  omit  the  use  of  the  properties  from  any  of  the 
rehearsals.  I  Ic  must  see  to  it  that  everything  about  the 
action  of  the  episode  is  understood  and  can  be  carried  out 
without  serious  deviation  from  the  plan  as  worked  out  in 
consultation  with  the  pageant  master. 


THE   REHEARSALS  8i 

Special  features  of  episodes,  like  dances,  should  be 
rehearsed  separately  and  before  group  rehearsals  by  epi- 
sodes are  called.  In  the  end  this  saves  time  for  everybody, 
as  the  whole  episode  group  is  not  kept  waiting  while  a  small 
number  are  rehearsing  their  special  feature. 

Full  Rehearsals. — The  first  full  rehearsal  is  the  time 
that  tries  the  souls  of  all  pageant  officers.  There  is  always, 
even  under  the  rnost  favorable  circumstances,  a  considerable 
amount  of  confusion.  Episode  directors  who  are  efficient 
will  reduce  the  confusion  to  a  minimum  but  they  cannot  be 
expected  to  prevent  it  altogether.  It  is  next  to  impossible 
to  bring  hundreds  of  people  together  and  restrain  their 
movements  and  conversation  so  that  the  directions  of  the 
pageant  master  may  be  heard.  It  is  especially  difficult  to 
keep  some  members  of  the  groups  from  wandering  off  on 
one  pretext  or  another  and  not  returning  in  time  for  their 
parts.  By  speaking  at  all  of  the  group  rehearsals  about  the 
necessity  for  quiet  at  the  full  rehearsals  and  during  the  per- 
formances a  predisposition  to  listen  to  reason  on  this  subject 
may  be  developed  in  the  members  of  the  cast.  A  pageant 
master  may  sometimes  be  compelled  to  dismiss  a  rehearsal 
because  of  unintentional  disorder.  The  word  unintentional 
is  used  here  in  a  relative  sense.  No  individual  in  the  group 
really  intends  to  make  so  much  noise  that  it  will  be  impos- 
sible to  continue  the  rehearsal.  Very  few  people,  however, 
seem  to  realize  that  a  great  noise  is  often  a  composite  of 
many  small  noises  that  in  the  aggregate  make  a  degree  of 
confusion  that  is  deafening  and  which  makes  rehearsing  an 
impossibility. 

Promptness  is  another  virtue  that  should  be  preached 
and  practiced  from  the  very  first  group  rehearsal  that  is 
called.  At  the  time  set  for  the  first  full  rehearsal  all  the 
episode  groups  should  be  in  the  places  assigned  to  them  at 
their  episode  rehearsals  and  the  orchestra  should  be  in  its 
place  with  instruments  tuned  ready  to  begin.  The  group  of 
central  figures  will  have  been  trained  in  special  rehearsals 
with  the  pageant  master  so  that  they  will  be  in  their  places 


82  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

ready  to  carry  through  their  part  of  the  pageant  with  no 
interruptions.  It  is  well  for  the  first  two  episode  groups  to 
be  stationed  ready  for  their  entrances  instead  of  in  the  seats 
assigned  to  them,  as  this  is  the  way  they  must  be  arranged 
for  the  actual  performance. 

With  the  preliminary  work  carefully  done  and  instruc- 
tions for  the  conduct  of  the  full  rehearsal  definitely  under- 
stood by  the  episode  directors  there  should  be  little  difficulty 
in  getting  through  the  full  rehearsal  without  any  marked 
interruptions.  Episode  groups  may  have  to  be  sent  back  to 
make  entrances  over  because  of  some  error  on  their  part, 
because  the  orchestra  needs  to  know  more  definitely  how 
much  time  Is  going  to  be  needed  for  specific  entrances,  or 
because  some  change  is  demanded  that  the  unity  of  the 
pageant  as  a  whole  may  be  promoted.  The  action  of  certain 
episodes  may  need  to  be  repeated  that  groupings  may  be 
corrected,  that  the  orchestra  may  learn  the  exact  moment 
when  a  dance  is  to  begin,  or  that  especially  dramatic  action 
may  be  intensified.  If  the  episode  groups  are  attentive  they 
soon  learn  how  their  parts  are  to  be  related  to  the  whole  and 
how  their  episode  Is  to  be  managed  so  as  to  avoid  conflict 
with  the  exit  and  entrance  of  other  episode  groups,  and  the 
rehearsal  will  move  smoothly  after  it  gets  well  started. 

A  very  great  help  to  the  pageant  master  and  to  the  epi- 
sode directors  may  be  secured  through  the  services  of  boy 
or  girl  scouts,  in  uniform,  who  are  detailed  to  act  as  personal 
attendants.  These  boys  or  girls  should  know  all  of  the 
pageant  officers  by  name  and  should  be  able  to  deliver  a 
message  as  It  was  given.  These  personal  attendants  should 
stay  with  the  person  to  whom  they  are  assigned  ready  to 
carry  messages  or  execute  orders  of  any  sort.  When  the 
person  moves  the  attendants  should  follow  so  that  no  time 
will  be  lost  In  hunting  for  them  when  they  arc  needed.  I'our 
attendants  for  the  pageant  master  and  two  for  each  of  the 
episode  directors  will  usually  be  sufficient.  The  success  of 
more  than  one  pageant  has  been  secured  through  the  quick- 
ness and  reliability  of  just  such  attendants. 


THE   REHEARSALS  83 

Another  device  that  will  save  much  time  at  the  rehearsals 
and  will  give  considerable  assurance  of  a  successful  per- 
formance is  a  telephone  system  installed  to  connect  the 
pageant  master  with  the  orchestra  and  with  the  episode 
directors.  Boy  scout  messengers,  as  suggested,  serve  as  a 
substitute  but  the  telephone  is  so  much  quicker  and  surer 
that  it  is  a  very  great  aid.  It  is  almost  a  necessity  for  a  large 
out-of-door  pageant.  The  director  should  be  out  in  front 
where  he  can  see  exactly  how  the  pageant  is  going  while  the 
episode  directors  are  with  their  respective  groups  taking  care 
of  the  details  of  the  action.  Instantaneous  communication 
with  them  and  with  the  orchestra  will  often  prevent  an  awk- 
ward wait  and  will  provide  a  method  of  taking  care  of  the 
unexpected  accidents  that  will  occur  when  so  many  people  are 
Involved.  In  one  pageant  two  members  of  an  episode  group 
were  to  enter  from  the  wings  while  the  remainder  of  the 
group  were  to  enter  from  the  rear  of  the  auditorium  up  the 
main  aisle.  The  pageant  master  was  with  the  orchestra,  the 
episode  director  was  with  the  main  group,  and  these  two 
characters  were  left  to  look  out  for  themselves  as  they  had 
done  at  rehearsals.  Something  delayed  them,  and  as  the 
pageant  master  had  no  means  of  communication  with  the 
dressing  rooms  he  was  helpless  and  they  never  did  appear  in 
the  episode.  A  telephone  would  have  enabled  the  pageant 
master  to  get  them  in  time.  Messengers  would  have  been 
too  slow. 

It  is  possible  to  save  time  for  many  people  and  at  the 
same  time  lessen  the  possibility  for  confusion  at  the  full 
rehearsals  by  having  the  episode  groups  report  at  the  time 
their  episodes  may  be  expected  to  be  called  instead  of  having 
them  all  report  at  the  time  the  rehearsal  begins.  If  there  is 
no  finale  that  requires  the  presence  of  all  the  groups  on  the 
stage  each  episode  group  may  be  excused  as  soon  as  that 
episode  is  finished.  But  since  there  will  be  only  one  or  two 
full  rehearsals  it  seems  better  as  a  general  rule  for  all  to 
report  for  the  beginning  of  the  rehearsal  and  stay  through 
to  the  end.     If  the  group  rehearsals  have  been  conducted 


84  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

properly  these  full  rehearsals  should  not  last  more  than  a 
third  longer  than  the  actual  performance. 

Dress  Rehearsals. — Opinion  is  divided  as  to  whether 
or  not  the  last  full  rehearsal  should  be  a  dress  rehearsal. 
It  takes  a  long  time  for  several  hundred  people  to  get 
dressed  for  such  a  rehearsal  and  the  time  is  always  badly 
needed  for  actual  rehearsing.  Pageant  costumes  are  often 
rather  hastily  constructed  and  the  wear  and  tear  of  a  full 
dress  rehearsal  either  necessitates  the  remaking  of  the 
costumes  or  at  least  robs  them  of  their  freshness.  On  the 
other  hand  it  is  an  advantage  to  have  the  costumes  reviewed 
by  the  pageant  master,  the  pageant  artist,  the  costumer,  and 
the  episode  directors.  There  are  really  only  two  good 
reasons  for  having  a  dress  rehearsal  for  a  pageant;  the 
reviewing  of  the  costumes  and  the  need  for  individual  actors 
to  get  accustomed  to  wearing  a  different  type  of  garb  from 
the  one  they  usually  wear. 

The  solution  of  this  problem  of  the  dress  rehearsal 
seems  to  be  to  have  it  in  sections,  that  is,  for  each  episode 
group  to  have  a  dress  rehearsal  by  itself.  The  last  group 
rehearsal  for  each  episode  might  well  be  a  dress  rehearsal 
where  all  matters  relating  to  costumes,  properties,  and 
makeup  can  be  decided. 

When  the  whole  pageant  cast  has  a  dress  rehearsal  there 
will  not  be  time  for  so  large  a  number  of  persons  to  get 
dressed,  made  up,  and  then  do  any  rehearsing.  No  pageant 
master  would  hesitate  in  selecting  which  of  these  three  things 
should  be  done  at  the  full  rehearsal.  The  costuming  could 
just  as  well  be  done  by  episode  groups.  The  makeup  can  be 
taken  care  of  to  better  advantage  in  small  groups.  The 
rehearsing  is  the  one  thing  that  is  essential  when  all  of  the 
pageant  cast  is  together.  Two  hours  can  easily  pass  while  the 
members  of  a  whole  pageant  cast  are  putting  on  costumes 
and  are  being  made  up.  This  leaves  very  little  time  for 
rehearsing  or  for  the  necessary  reviewing  of  costumes  ?nd 
makeup.     If  all  the  time  available  for  a   full  rehearsal  is 


THE   REHEARSALS  85 

devoted  strictly  to  rehearsing  there  are  two  things,  only,  that 
one  can  hope  to  secure;  first,  the  familiarity  of  the  groups 
with  their  positions  when  off  the  stage  and  their  entra.ices 
and  exits  in  relation  to  the  positions  and  movements  of  other 
groups;  and  second,  the  fixing,  with  the  orchestra,  of  the 
tempo  of  each  episode  and  of  the  pageant  as  a  whole.  Very 
little  time  can  be  devoted  even  to  the  action  of  the  different 
episodes,  or  to  the  movements  of  the  central  figures  except 
as  they  are  involved  in  the  action  of  the  episodes.  How 
much  less,  then,  can  time  be  spared  at  such  a  rehearsal  for 
costuming  and  makeup ! 

Whether  the  rehearsal  be  held  in  an  auditorium  or  out 
of  doors  there  is  always  considerable  wear  and  tear  on  the 
costumes.  Many  pageant  costumes  are  made  of  light 
material,  delicately  colored,  which  soils  easily.  If  the 
rehearsal  is  held  as  near  the  time  of  the  performance  as  is 
possible,  which  is  frequently  the  case,  there  will  be  no  time 
in  which  to  launder  the  soiled  costumes  and  freshen  up  those 
that  are  wrinkled.  This  is  a  very  serious  drawback  to  the 
full  dress  rehearsal  held  near  the  time  for  the  first  per- 
formance. If  several  performances  are  given  preceded  by 
the  dress  rehearsal  the  costumes  will  be  in  a  sad  state  before 
the  final  performance. 

Inspections. — It  is  very  necessary  that  all  costumes  be 
reviewed  by  the  pageant  master,  the  pageant  artist,  the  cos- 
tumer,  and  the  episode  directors.  Inspecting  from  two  to 
four  hundred  costumes  in  the  time  left  after  that  number  of 
people  have  put  on  their  costumes  is  an  almost  impossible 
task  for  one  evening.  Of  course  all  of  the  costumes  do  not 
have  to  be  absolutely  accurate  but  all  of  the  costumes  of  the 
principal  characters  do  have  to  be  accurate  and  the  others 
should  be  approximately  so.  Artistically  conscientious 
officials  will  not  be  satisfied  with  costumes  very  far  from 
correct,  historically.  Even  if  there  were  time  to  inspect  all 
costumes  carefully  at  a  full  dress  rehearsal  there  would 
hardly  be  time  for  the  required  changes  to  be  made  before 


86  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

the  first  performance  because  the  full  rehearsal  Is  usually 
called  as  near  the  performance  as  possible.  The  directions 
given  at  the  dress  rehearsal  as  to  corrections  to  be  made  in 
costumes  should  be  explicit  and  should  be  carried  out  exactly. 
If  this  work  has  been  done  carefully  a  very  brief  inspection 
of  the  groups  before  each  performance  will  be  all  that  is 
needed. 

Correctness  in  costume  accessories  like  shoes,  hats,  and 
wigs  or  beards  is  difficult  to  secure.  The  correct  form  of 
footgear  is  the  most  difficult  of  all  to  secure.  The  principal 
offenders  in  this  detail  are  the  women  who  insist  on  wearing 
high  heels  with  Greek  robes.  No  amount  of  persuasion  will 
convince  some  of  them  that  they  look  exceedingly  awkward 
and  ungainly  dressed  in  this  way.  They  are  used  to  the  high 
heels  and  insist  that  they  cannot  walk  without  them.  These 
women  are  not  in  the  majority  but  they  will  be  found  in  every 
pageant  group  and  will  not  get  sandals  unless  considerable 
pressure  is  brought  to  bear.  It  is  much  better  to  transfer 
such  persons  to  an  episode  where  their  high  heels  will  not 
be  grotesque.  Otherwise  the  inspecting  officer  may  be 
obliged  to  force  them  to  leave  their  heels  and  go  in  stockings 
without  shoes  of  any  kind.  Among  the  men  the  most  glaring 
inconsistency  in  footwear  is  the  wearing  of  ordinary  high 
black  walking  shoes  with  the  court  costumes  of  feudal  times. 
This  happened  in  one  of  the  largest  pageants  ever  given  in 
the  United  States.  Even  in  the  professional  field  such  things 
do  occur.  An  instance  was  quoted  in  connection  with  an 
opera  company  recently  touring  the  states.  Report  has  it 
that  a  member  of  the  chorus  of  this  company  appeared  in 
Aida  in  the  regulation  Egyptian  costume  but  wearing  with  it 
ordinary  walking  shoes  and  gray  spats!  Whether  or  not 
the  report  be  true  it  serves  to  illustrate  the  problem  of  cor- 
rectness in  costume  accessories.  Constant  vigilance  alone 
can  keep  these  accessories  even  approximately  correct.  The 
only  way  to  avoid  glaring  inconsistencies  is  for  the  costumer 
to  have  the  footwear  made  where  It  varies  from  the  modern 
style  to  any  extent. 


THE   REHEARSALS  87 

With  the  question  of  suitable  hats  comes  also  the  style 
of  hairdressing.  Hats  may  be  omitted  to  a  great  extent  and 
no  one  will  notice  the  omission  except  in  rare  cases.  When 
hats  are  not  worn  the  style  of  hairdressing,  especially  for 
the  women,  is  important.  In  this  respect,  however,  there  is 
usually  very  little  trouble.  Much  more  difficult  than  the 
question  of  hats  is  the  one  of  crowns  for  pageant  royalty  and 
for  Liberty  or  America,  or  whatever  name  is  given  to  the 
personification  of  the  country.  The  tendency  here  is  to 
appear  with  so  extensive  an  expanse  of  gold  covered  card- 
board that  it  is  very  unbecoming  and  attracts  attention  to 
itself  to  the  exclusion  of  the  remainder  of  the  costume  and 
of  the  action  and  lines  of  the  character.  It  is  a  false  note 
that  cannot  be  overcome  in  any  way.  The  alternative  would 
seem  to  be  the  renting  of  crowns  from  costumers  but  this  is 
almost  as  unsatisfactory.  Stage  jewelry  that  can  be  rented 
is  of  the  type  that  was  used  in  the  last  century  with  elaborate 
court  costumes  and  is  not  appropriate  for  use  with  modern 
simple  pageant  costumes.  Crowns  of  this  sort  seem  out  of 
character  except  in  an  Elizabethan  or  feudal  episode  and 
even  here  they  are  a  little  incongruous  unless  the  costumes 
have  been  rented  to  match  them.  The  gold  covered  card- 
board crown  is  to  be  preferred  for  figures  like  America  or 
Liberty  but  it  must  be  kept  to  modest  enough  proportions  so 
that  it  is  becoming  and  inconspicuous.  Gold  lace  and  colored 
beads  may  be  combined  into  very  convincing  crowns  for 
kings  and  queens  of  the  middle  ages.  A  foundation  of  hat 
wire  is  all  that  is  needed  and  they  can  be  kept  to  suitable 
proportions  and  harmonious  colors.  The  thing  to  be  kept  in 
mind  is  that  shoes,  hats,  and  crowns  are  costume  accessories 
and  should  never  be  the  dominating  feature  of  the  costume 
unless  the  action  of  the  episode  demands.  They  should  con- 
tribute to  the  effect  of  the  costume  as  any  detail  contributes 
to  the  whole  effect. 

Wigs  and  beards  are  a  source  of  great  vexation  to 
pageant  officers.  Those  that  can  be  rented  from  costumers 
are  seldom  satisfactory  as  they  almost  never  fit  well  and 


88  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

often  are  enough  "off  color"  so  that  they  are  obviously  wigs 
and  as  such  distract  the  attention  of  the  audience  when  it 
should  be  concentrated  upon  what  is  happening  on  the  stage. 
The  expense  of  having  special  wigs  made  for  a  pageant  is 
practically  prohibitive  except  for  the  very  few  characters 
where  wigs  are  essential.  The  wigs  for  colonial  characters 
are  easily  procured.  It  is  not  essential  that  they  resemble 
the  natural  hair  so  closely.  Powdered  hair  appears  to  the 
present  generation  as  artificial  anyway  and  so  we  accept  the 
white  wig  as  an  essential  part  of  the  colonial  costume  with- 
out feeling  that  it  is  a  false  note.  A  character  part  like  a 
seer  or  a  prophet  must  usually  have  both  wig  and  beard. 
It  would  be  worth  while  in  this  case  to  allow  enough  money 
so  that  suitable  ones  could  be  made  or  else  very  good  ones 
bought  ready  made.  Small,  close-cropped  beards  and  mus- 
taches can  be  made  from  crepe  hair  if  care  and  skill  are 
exercised.  The  hair  should  be  combed  out  from  the  braid, 
stuck  on  with  spirit  gum,  and  then  trimmed  carefully.  Other 
than  for  the  sort  of  character  indicated  wigs  and  beards 
would  better  be  omitted.  Their  omission  attracts  less  atten- 
tion than  the  use  of  poorly  fitting  ones  does  and  the  comfort 
of  the  actors  is  greatly  increased  by  the  omission. 

Full  Dress  Rehearsals. — When  a  full  dress  re- 
hearsal cannot  be  avoided  it  is  an  advantage  to  have  it  held 
at  such  a  time  that  school  children  can  attend  and  to  charge 
a  small  admission  fee.  It  may  appear  that  an  audience  com- 
posed ^Imost  entirely  of  school  children  would  be  very  dis- 
orderly and  would  interfere  with  the  progress  of  the 
rehearsal.  Of  course  such  a  rehearsal  would  not  be  allowed 
unless  the  preliminary  group  rehearsals  had  been  very  satis- 
factory. An  audience,  even  of  children,  docs  serve  as  a 
check  on  the  tendency  of  the  cast  to  talk  and  to  wander  away 
from  their  groups  and  fully  as  much  time  and  annoyance  are 
saved  In  these  respects  as  is  lost  through  having  an  audience. 
The  amount  taken  in  at  such  a  rehearsal  is  a  welcome  addi- 
tion   to   the   pageant    fund.      'f"hc    rehearsal    also   makes   it 


THE   REHEARSALS  89 

possible  for  many  children  to  attend  the  pageant  who  could 
not  attend  a  regular  performance  because  of  the  price  of 
admission.  The  full  dress  rehearsal  is  not  recommended  but 
if  it  cannot  be  avoided  this  plan  for  an  audience  is  considered 
worth  while. 

The  two  reasons  for  having  a  full  dress  rehearsal,  as 
before  suggested,  are  the  inspection  of  the  costumes  and  the 
necessity  for  the  actors  to  get  accustomed  to  wearing  a  type 
of  clothing  entirely  different  from  what  they  are  used  to 
wearing.  Essentially  these  two  reasons  for  a  full  dress 
rehearsal  are  reasons  for  not  having  a  full  dress  rehearsal  at 
all  but  for  having  group  dress  rehearsals  instead.  If  each 
group  has  a  dress  rehearsal  in  addition  to  enough  other 
group  rehearsals  to  bring  the  action  up  to  the  desired  degree 
of  accuracy,  one  full  rehearsal  will  be  all  that  will  be  neces- 
sary, if  the  orchestra  has  followed  the  plan  outlined  in 
previous  chapters.  If  this  plan  does  not  save  time  for  all 
concerned  it  will  take  no  more  time  than  the  full  dress 
rehearsal  and  will  save  much  irritation  to  the  pageant 
officers. 

Group  Dress  Rehearsals. — The  group  dress  rehearsal 
will  allow  time  for  careful  inspection  of  all  costumes  and 
also  for  the  giving  of  detailed  instructions  as  to  what  changes 
are  to  be  made  and  how  they  are  to  be  made.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  the  only  way  to  secure  proper  inspection  of  costumes 
and  accessories  is  to  have  time  enough  to  do  it  carefully  and 
time  enough  to  explain  just  why  certain  changes  are 
demanded.  This  cannot  be  done  at  a  full  dress  rehearsal 
because  of  lack  of  time.  Another  advantage  of  the  dress 
rehearsal  by  episodes  is  that  they  must  be  held  earlier  than 
the  full  rehearsal  and  that  means  adequate  time  to  modify 
and  complete  costumes.  There  are  always  people  who  leave 
everything,  the  making  of  costumes  included,  until  the  last 
minute  and  if  the  costumes  are  required  for  a  dress  rehearsal 
of  the  episode  several  days  before  the  date  of  the  pageant 
there  is  more  likelihood  of  the  costumes  being  ready  and 


90  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

approved  than  if  the  dress  rehearsal  is  a  full  rehearsal  very 
near  to  the  time  of  the  performance. 

It  is  important  that  the  cast  be  used  enough  to  the 
pageant  costumes  to  wear  them  with  an  air  of  custom.  Put 
a  business  man  in  tights  and  a  plumed  hat  and  it  takes  him 
some  time  to  become  reconciled  to  himself.  Put  the  same 
business  man  in  a  Roman  toga  and  it  will  take  him  much 
longer  to  feel,  and  hence  look,  at  ease.  Young  athletes  feel 
entirely  at  home  in  Greek  chitons  which  leave  arms  and  legs 
bare  but  they  find  some  difficulty  in  adjusting  themselves  to 
the  vestments  of  the  church.  A  group  dress  rehearsal, 
because  the  number  of  people  involved  is  comparatively 
small,  allows  much  greater  freedom  of  action  than  is  pos- 
sible at  a  full  dress  rehearsal  and  hence  the  process  of 
adjustment  to  a  new  style  of  clothing  is  hastened.  When  one 
can  walk  about  and  look  at  himself  and  exchange  person- 
alities with  others  garbed  in  an  equally  strange  way  the  new- 
ness wears  off  much  more  quickly  than  when  all  are  obliged, 
for  the  sake  of  the  rehearsing,  to  remain  seated  in  one  place 
except  when  on  the  stage. 

General  Considerations. — When  all  of  the  pageant 
cast  are  together  at  the  final  full  rehearsal  the  pageant 
master  should  give  such  instructions  as  are  necessary  with 
regard  to  the  performances.  The  exact  time  of  beginning 
should  be  stated,  the  time  when  the  cast  is  expected  to  report 
to  dress  and  be  made  up  announced,  directions  given  for  the 
benefit  of  those  who  will  make  up  at  home,  the  caution  with 
regard  to  talking  and  moving  about  after  the  pageant  begins 
repeated,  and  specific  instructions  given  as  to  where  each 
episode  group  is  to  report  for  the  final  inspection  before 
going  to  the  places  assigned  to  them  for  the  performance. 
The  greater  part  of  these  instructions  will  be  a  repetition  of 
what  has  been  said  before  but  the  repetition  is  a  necessary 
precaution,  nevertheless. 

It  is  well  to  leave  one  whole  day  free  from  rehearsals 
before  the  pageant  is  to  be  given.     There  will  always  be 


THE  REHEARSALS  91 

groups  asking  for  extra  rehearsals  on  this  last  day  but  they 
should  be  refused  unless  there  is  a  very  great  need  for  the 
extra  rehearsal.  The  actual  performance  will  go  much 
better  if  this  interval  has  been  left  between  it  and  the  re- 
hearsals. There  are  many  details  that  will  occupy  the 
pageant  officers  during  this  day  of  rest  for  the  cast.  Prop- 
erties should  be  checked  over,  final  touches  given  to  the  stage 
settings,  conferences  held  with  episode  directors,  and  such 
other  things  attended  to  as  always  come  up  at  the  last  minute 
and  which  must  be  neglected  if  rehearsals  are  being  held. 

Too  many  rehearsals  will  destroy  the  very  spontaneity 
that  is  the  essence  of  pageantry.  There  must  be  enough 
rehearsals  held  so  that  each  group  as  a  whole  will  know  what 
to  do  and  when  to  do  it  but  the  details  of  the  acting  should 
not  be  so  definitely  arranged  that  no  one  of  the  cast  will 
move  except  In  the  ordered  way.  Many  of  the  most  effective 
bits  of  pageant  acting  are  those  that  come  at  the  time  of 
the  performance  without  having  been  previously  learned. 
The  important  thing  is  to  have  the  episode  groups  so  filled 
with  the  spirit  of  the  pageant  that  the  details  will  almost 
automatically  adjust  themselves,  and  the  acting  follow  as  a 
matter  of  course. 


VII.    THE  PERFORMANCE 

Makeup. — As  a  preliminary  to  the  pageant  perform- 
ance the  matter  of  makeup  should  be  given  careful  attention. 
At  the  last  rehearsal  members  of  the  cast  were  instructed  as 
to  the  time  they  should  report  for  dressing  and  makeup.  It 
saves  confusion  to  have  them  come  by  episode  groups.  The 
first  group  should  appear  at  least  an  hour  and  a  half  before 
the  time  set  for  the  performance  to  begin.  Those  groups 
that  will  have  to  be  helped  with  their  costumes  should  be 
called  first.  The  men,  particularly  those  taking  the  parts  of 
Greeks  and  Romans,  will  need  considerable  help.  Primitive 
peoples  will  need  more  time  than  others  because  of  the 
extensive  makeup  required  for  them.  Aside  from  this  the 
groups  might  well  draw  for  the  time  to  report.  Time  should 
be  allowed  between  the  time  appointed  for  the  arrival  of  the 
different  groups  so  that  the  first  group  may  be  nearly  ready 
for  final  inspection  before  the  members  of  the  next  group 
begin  to  report.  This  saves  congestion  in  the  dressing  rooms 
and  allows  the  final  inspection  to  be  made  more  leisurely 
than  if  all  reported  at  once. 

Practically  all  of  the  men  in  the  cast  will  have  to  be  made 
up  in  the  dressing  rooms.  Many  of  the  women  will  be  made 
up  when  they  report.  It  is  well  to  have  some  woman  in  the 
women's  dressing  room  who  will  make  up  those  who  need 
it  and  who  will  see  that  those  who  made  up  at  home  have 
done  it  in  the  approved  way.  Several  young  men  should  be 
given  instructions  as  to  how  the  men  should  be  made  up  and 
they  should  be  in  the  dressing  rooms  to  take  care  of  that 
matter.  It  saves  time  if  one  of  them  is  trained  to  use  the 
rouge,  another  the  pencil,  another  the  powder,  and  so  on. 
The  pageant  master  or  his  representative  should  be  present 

92 


THE   PERFORMANCE  93 

to  inspect  the  makeup  after  it  is  finished  and  before  the 
individuals  join  their  groups  for  the  final  inspection  just 
before  taking  their  places. 

What  little  makeup  is  used  should  be  only  enough  to 
accent  the  natural  features.  If  enough  is  used  to  attract  the 
attention  of  the  audience  the  force  of  the  action  is  weakened 
to  that  extent.  Under  artificial  light  some  makeup  is  almost 
necessary  but  the  smallest  possible  amount  should  be  used. 
Even  in  a  daytime  performance  out  of  doors  enough  must 
be  used  to  make  the  characters  look  natural.  It  must  be 
used  with  skill  and  discretion,  however,  if  it  is  to  serve  its 
purpose  instead  of  defeating  it.  In  a  large  pageant  given  by 
the  students  of  a  state  university  two  young  men  failed  to 
report  at  the  time  appointed  for  their  episode.  They  came 
to  the  dressing  room  just  as  the  makeup  man  was  putting 
away  his  materials  in  order  to  report  for  duty  elsewhere  at 
the  beginning  of  the  pageant.  The  young  men  evidently 
helped  themselves  generously  to  the  makeup,  for  when  they 
appeared  on  the  stage  they  presented  a  marked  contrast  to 
those  who  had  been  made  up  by  the  regular  man.  A  casual 
observer  would  have  thought  they  were  having  scarlet  fever 
or  else  were  red  Indians  in  disguise.  The  remainder  of  the 
cast  looked  like  normal  human  beings  except  possibly  a  little 
more  attractive  than  usual,  but  these  two  were  like  nothing 
human  and  normal. 

Semi-moist  rouge,  eyebrow  pencils  in  two  colors,  and 
flesh-colored  powder  are  all  that  is  needed  for  the  makeup 
of  the  men.  The  women  will  need  the  same  except  that 
white  powder  is  usually  preferred  to  the  flesh-colored.  They 
often  want  cold  cream  and  generally  prefer  a  lip  stick  instead 
of  the  rouge  for  the  mouth.  Character  parts  will  require 
additional  materials  such  as  cold  cream,  blue  and  black 
grease  paint  and  crepe  hair.  Grease  paint  is  to  be  avoided 
as  much  as  possible  in  pageantry.  The  characters  are  sub- 
jected to  such  close  scrutiny  that  it  is  not  possible  to  prevent 
a  greasy  appearance  if  the  grease  paint,  or  even  the  cold 
cream  in   any  quantity,   is  used.     It  shows  plainly  and  is 


94  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

objectionable,  since  it,  rather  than  the  acting  of  the  char- 
acter, holds  the  attention  of  the  audience. 

Character  Makeup. — Character  parts  must  be  made 
up  when  it  isn't  possible  to  get  a  person  with  approximately 
the  right  physical  appearance  to  take  the  part.  It  is  much 
better,  though,  to  search  until  the  right  person  is  found  than 
to  make  up  a  different  sort  of  person  and  have  the  audience 
think  of  the  makeup  all  the  time  he  is  on  the  stage.  The 
tendency  is  to  use  too  much  makeup  rather  than  too  little. 
A  person  trained  to  make  up  for  the  stage  invariably  makes 
the  eyes  up  to  look  too  theatrical.  The  one  thing  to  avoid 
on  the  pageant  stage  is  the  appearance  that  we  have  in  mind 
when  we  say  "theatrical."  The  characters  should  look 
natural  and  normal  and  give  the  audience  the  feeling  that 
they  are  seeing  real  people  carrying  on  the  real  life  of  the 
world.  If  the  actors  look  as  though  they  were  made  up  for 
the  stage  an  element  of  make-believe  and  insincerity  creeps 
in  and  spoils  the  atmosphere  of  the  pageant.  This  is  in  no 
way  intended  as  a  reproach  to  the  stage  and  its  practices. 
Its  very  life  depends  upon  creating  and  maintaining  illusions. 
The  point  here  is  that  pageantry  has  no  part  in  such  illusions 
and  should  avoid  anything  that  looks  like  an  attempt  to 
create  a  theatrical  atmosphere.  Wigs,  except  for  character 
parts  such  as  colonial  characters,  and  excessive  makeup  are 
to  be  avoided,  even  for  the  technically  called  character  parts. 
A  type  of  person  should  be  selected  for  the  part  that  will 
suggest  the  character  and  then  the  imagination  of  the  audi- 
ence can  be  trusted  to  supply  any  lack. 

Final  Inspection. — Episode  directors  should  call  the 
roll  of  their  respective  groups,  inspect  the  members  indi- 
vidually, and  then  report  them  ready  for  the  final  inspection 
of  the  pageant  artist,  the  costumer,  and  the  pageant  master. 
I  he  final  inspection  by  these  three  officers  should  begin  at 
least  fifteen  minutes  before  the  pageant  is  to  begin.  If  a 
dress  rehearsal  has  been  held  for  each  group  the  labor  of 


THE   PERFORMANCE  95 

inspecting  before  the  performance  will  be  greatly  minimized. 
It  can  not  wisely  be  omitted,  however,  as  there  are  always  a 
few  people  who  have  neglected  to  make  the  corrections  as 
instructed. 

Those  persons  who  appear  in  the  later  episodes  will 
often  demur  at  being  asked  to  report  for  final  inspection  at 
the  beginning  of  the  pageant,  especially  if  there  are  several 
performances,  but  it  is  the  only  safe  plan.  In  no  other  way 
can  the  episode  directors  know  whether  or  not  all  of  the 
members  of  their  casts  are  present,  costumed,  and  made  up. 
The  preliminary  roll  call  and  inspection  makes  it  possible  for 
the  episode  director  to  hurry  out  and  find  a  substitute  in  case 
any  important  character  is  missing  and  get  the  substitute 
costumed  and  instructed  in  his  part  before  it  is  time  for  the 
group  to  appear.  No  less  than  three  such  substitutions  had 
to  be  made  in  one  pageant.  The  groups  in  which  they  were 
made  spent  the  time  when  they  were  waiting  for  their  turn 
to  appear  in  different  dressing  rooms  and  corridors  rehears- 
ing the  substitutes  in  their  newly  assumed  parts. 

In  selecting  the  cast  for  the  different  episodes  it  is  well, 
as  a  precautionary  measure,  to  make  the  cast  considerably 
larger  than  is  actually  desired  for  the  performance.  A  few 
minor  characters,  more  or  less,  do  not  affect  the  integrity  of 
the  group  unless  it  is  a  few  less  than  the  irreducible  minimum 
for  the  episode.  Then  it  is  very  noticeable.  It  is  much 
better  to  have  a  few  more  in  the  group  than  is  absolutely 
necessary  than  to  have  too  few  in  it.  By  selecting  a  larger 
cast  than  is  really  needed  one  takes  care  of  the  liability  of 
members  of  the  cast  to  drop  out,  often  for  good  reasons,  at 
the  last  minute.  Then  if  episode  principals  drop  out  it  is 
easier  to  shift  a  minor  character  to  the  part  than  to  train 
someone  who  has  no  knowledge  of  the  episode  action. 
There  are  always  a  few  characters  missing  from  every 
pageant  performance.  The  number  varies  with  local  con- 
ditions. In  one  pageant  given  in  a  university  town  the  final 
inspection  showed  at  least  fifty  members  of  a  cast  of  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  persons  absent  from  the  performance. 


96  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

Except  In  emergency  cases  all  dressing  rooms  should  be 
cleared  at  the  beginning  of  the  pageant  and  the  groups 
should  be  in  their  appointed  places  as  instructed.  It  is  true 
that  this  makes  it  difficult  for  persons  to  take  more  than  one 
part  but  an  attempt  to  take  part  in  two  or  more  episodes 
nearly  always  ends  in  disaster  for  one  or  the  other  of  the 
episodes.  In  the  Thanksgiving  pageant  several  young  men 
were  allowed  to  take  part  in  Episode  I  and  in  Episode  IV. 
Episode  IV  appeared  on  the  stage  at  the  performance  with 
very  greatly  depleted  ranks.  The  explanation,  given  after- 
wards to  the  pageant  master,  was  that  these  young  men  were 
still  in  the  dressing  rooms  washing  off  the  primitive  makeup 
when  they  should  have  been  on  the  stage  in  Episode  IV 
witnessing  the  confirmation  of  the  King  of  Kent. 

Beginning  the  Pageant. — With  the  costuming  and 
makeup  attended  to  on  schedule  time,  the  final  inspection 
made,  the  dressing  rooms  cleared,  and  every  group  in  its 
place,  the  pageant  is  ready  to  begin  on  time.  Every  pageant 
master  can  probably  remember  a  performance,  usually  his 
first,  that  was  late  in  beginning.  A  successful  director  soon 
learns  to  announce  at  the  final  rehearsal  that  the  pageant 
will  begin  promptly  at  the  time  advertised  whether  or  not  all 
of  the  cast  have  reported,  ready  to  appear.  When  the  habit 
of  promptness  has  been  built  up  during  the  rehearsals  there 
will  be  but  little  difficulty  about  beginning  the  performance 
on  time.  If  the  audience  must  wait  twenty  or  thirty  minutes 
after  the  specified  time  for  the  pageant  to  begin  its  attitude 
towards  the  pageant  will  be  quite  different  from  that  of  an 
audience  not  kept  waiting  after  it  is  well  seated.  Orchestral 
preludes,  not  intimately  associated  with  the  main  theme  of 
the  pageant,  are  a  poor  makeshift  for  promptness.  They 
serve  to  distract  the  attention  of  the  audience.  Perhaps  it 
would  be  more  accurate  to  say  that  such  preludes  direct  the 
attention  of  the  audience  along  their  own  particular  channels 
by  awakening  their  own  peculiar  emotional  responses.  Then 
when  the  pageant  opens,  probably  on  an  entirely  different 


THE  PERFORMANCE  97 

emotional  key,  there  is  the  strain  of  unconscious  readjust- 
ment and  a  consequent  loss  of  interest. 

There  are  places  where  the  audience  has  the  habit  of 
being  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  later  than  the  hour  set  for 
beginning  any  evening  entertainment.  It  is  practically  impos- 
sible to  begin  a  pageant  on  time  if  the  audience  Is  still  coming 
in  and  getting  seated.  The  only  thing  that  can  be  done  in 
this  case  is  to  wait  until  the  greater  part  of  the  audience  is 
in,  hurrying  the  doorkeepers  and  ushers  as  much  as  possible 
without  making  the  audience  feel  as  though  they  are  being 
hurried.  Since  the  corridors  and  aisles  must  be  used  by  the 
pageant  groups  they  must  be  comparatively  clear  before  the 
pageant  can  begin. 

Ushers. — Belonging  to  the  opening  phase  of  the 
pageant  is  the  ushering  of  the  audience  to  the  seats.  When- 
ever reserved  seats  are  sold  there  must  be  a  body  of  ushers 
to  locate  them  for  the  audience.  In  many  theaters  and  in 
some  auditoriums  the  managers  have  contracts  with  the 
regular  group  of  ushers  to  the  effect  that  whenever  the  build- 
ing is  rented  for  any  public  entertainment  this  group  of 
ushers  will  be  used  at  a  stated  scale  of  prices.  This  means 
that  in  renting  the  building  for  a  pageant  the  business 
manager  must  also  employ  these  ushers  and  pay  them  accord- 
ing to  their  contract  in  addition  to  the  rental  of  the  building. 
Where  this  condition  does  not  exist  boy  or  girl  scouts  are 
often  detailed  to  do  the  ushering.  In  the  St.  Louis  municipal 
theater  the  boy  scouts  are  employed.  In  the  Savannah, 
Georgia,  municipal  auditorium  the  girl  scouts  have  been 
trained  for  this  work.  Unless  the  boy  or  girl  scouts  are 
very  well  trained  it  is  better  to  get  more  mature  people  to 
act  as  ushers.  Young  women,  in  uniform,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  another  young  woman  as  head  usher  have  been  found 
the  most  reliable  and  competent,  especially  in  the  case  of  a 
building  where  the  audience  is  not  accustomed  to  go,  or  for 
an  out-of-door  performance.  The  head  usher  will  assign 
the  other  ushers  to  certain  sections  and  then  drill  them  In 


98  THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

finding  seats  until  they  know  the  location  of  every  number  in 
every  row  in  their  sections. 

Discipline. — Discipline  is  usually  thought  of  in  con- 
nection with  schools,  the  army,  and  the  navy,  but  if  there  is 
any  place  where  strict  discipline  should  be  maintained  it  is  in 
the  episode  groups  of  a  pageant  during  the  full  rehearsals 
and  more  especially  during  the  performance.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  pageant  the  first  two  episode  groups  will  need  to 
be  waiting  in  the  corridors  or  in  the  wings  for  their  entrances 
since  it  would  make  unnecessary  noise  and  confusion  for 
them  to  go  to  their  seats  and  then  leave  almost  immediately 
to  make  their  entrances.  The  other  groups,  too,  must  be 
kept  near  enough  to  the  stage  so  that  they  may  be  ready  for 
entrances  as  needed.  In  an  indoor  production  they  must  be 
kept  within  the  building.  This  means  that  practically  all 
talking  must  be  prohibited  and  that  no  member  of  the  cast 
of  any  episode  may  leave  except  with  the  knowledge  and 
consent  of  episode  director.  It  may  seem  that  this  is 
extreme  but  long  experience  has  shown  that  it  is  necessary. 
It  is  most  disconcerting  to  find,  when  it  is  time  for  St. 
Catherine  to  bestow  her  sword  and  her  blessing  upon  the 
Maid  of  France  that  the  good  saint  has  slipped  away  and 
gone  joy  riding  with  the  king  of  the  West  Saxons  while 
waiting  for  the  time  when  she  is  to  appear.  Even  should 
they  stay  within  the  building  the  noise  of  the  moving  about 
of  the  performers  is  most  objectionable.  So  much  move- 
ment is  necessary  in  making  entrances  and  exits  that  all  other 
moving  about  has  to  be  prohibited. 

Tempo. — The  emotional  reaction  of  the  audience, 
spoken  of  in  a  preceding  paragraph,  brings  us  to  a  considera- 
tion of  the  tempo  of  the  performance.  If  the  action  of  the 
pageant  is  allowed  to  drag,  the  attention  of  the  audience 
wanders.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  tempo  is  too  fast  the 
pageant  becomes  a  mad  scramble  for  place  which  must  be 
relinquished  before  it  is  well  attained,      i'he  tempo  will  be 


THE   PERFORMANCE  99 

different  in  different  episodes  and  will  vary  within  certain 
episodes  as  the  action  demands. 

The  pageant  master  must  set  the  tempo  and  must  give 
directions  for  varying  it  either  by  telephone  or  messenger  as 
is  necessary  from  time  to  time.  When  working  towards  a 
climax  either  of  action  or  of  massed  characters  the  tempo 
will  naturally  be  quickened.  It  should  not,  however,  be 
quickened  in  so  marked  a  manner  that  the  audience  will  be 
conscious  of  it.  The  audience  should  feel  only  an  added 
emotional  exaltation  without  being  conscious  of  its  origin. 

The  Pageant  Master  and  the  Performance. — 
The  position  of  the  pageant  master  during  the  performance 
should  be  such  that  he  can  command  a  view  of  the  audience 
as  well  as  of  the  stage.  He  will  then  be  able  to  estimate  very 
readily  the  attitude  of  the  audience  and  act  accordingly.  If 
the  audience  is  getting  restless  he  can  increase  the  tempo  by 
having  the  orchestra  play  a  little  faster.  In  one  out-of-door 
pageant  with  a  storm  approaching,  the  performance  was 
shortened  nearly  fifteen  minutes  simply  by  having  the  music 
played  more  quickly  than  usual.  The  chances  are  that  the 
audience  was  not  aware  of  the  increased  tempo.  Probably 
even  the  members  of  the  cast  were  unconscious  of  it.  The 
tempo  of  the  music  unconsciously  influenced  them  and  the 
whole  performance  went  that  much  faster.  Except  for 
special  reasons  the  pageant  master  should  not  stay  behind 
the  scenes  nor  in  the  wings  during  a  performance.  The 
details  of  management  there  should  be  left  to  the  episode 
directors.  If  they  are  at  all  efficient  there  will  be  no  need  for 
him  there  and  things  will  go  fully  as  well  if  he  stays  out  in 
front. 

All  sorts  of  things  may  happen  during  a  pageant  but  the 
pageant  master  can  do  very  little  to  prevent  them  at  the  time 
of  the  performance.  His  work  should  have  been  completed, 
largely,  with  the  final  rehearsal  except  for  setting  the  tempo 
and  warning  the  episode  groups  of  the  time  for  their 
entrances  when  they  are  so  placed  that  they  cannot  see  for 


loo         THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

themselves.  His  best  plan  when  things  begin  to  go  wrong  is 
to  remain  quiet  and  let  those  involved  extricate  themselves. 
Intelligent  people  can  ordinarily  make  the  best  of  an  awk- 
ward situation  if  they  are  not  worried  by  commands  from 
other  people.  The  interruption  to  the  orderly  progress  of 
events  is  less  than  when  the  pageant  master  tries  to  correct 
the  error.  The  mere  fact  that  he  is  taking  the  situation  in 
hand  exaggerates  the  effect  of  it.  A  group  of  colonial  people 
in  a  certain  pageant  illustrate  this  point.  There  had  not 
been  sufficient  rehearsals  and  then  the  last  full  rehearsal  had 
to  be  dismissed  because  of  a  sudden  change  in  the  weather. 
The  same  cold  wave  made  it  necessary  for  the  pageant  to 
be  given  indoors,  although  the  plan  had  been  to  have  it 
outside.  This  meant  no  rehearsal  in  the  building  where  the 
pageant  was  given.  The  colonial  group  failed  to  apply  the 
instructions  they  had  received  as  to  the  manner  of  their  exit 
from  the  out-of-door  stage  to  the  limited  conditions  of  the 
auditorium.  They  became  excited,  the  pageant  master,  who 
was  with  the  orchestra  just  in  front  of  the  stage,  began  to 
give  them  directions,  the  episode  director,  who  was  in  the 
wings,  gave  them  contrary  directions,  and  they  literally 
didn't  know  what  to  do.  They  finally  did  something  and 
made  an  exit  of  sorts.  The  lesson  of  this  is  that  if  the 
pageant  master  had  kept  quiet  they  might  have  followed  the 
directions  of  the  episode  director  and  saved  themselves  and 
the  audience  an  embarrassing  minute  or  two. 

An  instance  where  the  pageant  master  was  wiser  forms 
a  contrast.  In  this  case  Joan  of  Arc  was  to  enter  mounted  on 
her  war  horse.  The  young  woman  had  never  practiced  the 
entrance  with  the  horse,  although  the  pageant  master  had 
repeatedly  urged  the  necessity  of  it.  I'he  pageant  was 
given  in  the  evening  and  when  the  light  was  turned  upon 
Joan  the  horse  refused  to  approach.  The  pageant  master 
simply  kept  the  orchestra  playing  as  though  nothing  unusual 
had  hapj)cned.  The  young  woman  did  her  best  to  control 
the  horse  but  finally  dismounted,  fastened  the  animal  to  a 
fence,  and  entered  on  foot.     It  was  infinitely  better  for  her 


THE   PERFORMANCE  loi 

to  do  this  than  for  the  pageant  master  to  have  embarrassed 
her  by  trying  to  settle  her  difficulty  for  her.  These  instances 
of  what  the  pageant  master  should  and  should  not  do  brings 
us  to  the  close  of  the  performance. 

Pageant  Finales. — Many  pageants,  at  the  end,  call 
for  the  massing  on  the  stage  of  nearly  all  of  the  characters 
that  have  appeared  In  the  pageant  and  of  some  new  ones. 
The  arrangement  of  these  groups  In  the  corridors  and  wings 
forms  one  of  the  difficult  problems  of  the  pageant  master. 
The  ones  who  enter  first  for  this  finale  must  take  their  places 
at  the  beginning  of  the  preceding  episode  at  the  place  where 
they  are  to  enter.  The  group  that  will  enter  next  after  them 
must  take  its  place  directly  behind  this  first  group,  moving 
up  to  the  entrance  as  soon  as  the  first  group  is  out  of  the 
way.  All  groups  in  this  finale  must  leave  their  seats  at 
nearly  the  same  time  to  take  their  places  for  this  entrance. 
A  high  degree  of  discipline  must  be  maintained  while  the 
members  of  the  cast  are  waiting  In  the  corridors  and  wings 
for  this  final  entrance.  Talking  will  be  heard  by  the  audience 
and  will  spoil  the  effect  of  the  episode  then  playing.  The 
most  effective  endings  will  be  spoiled  If  there  Is  much  noise  In 
the  corridors  at  such  times. 

A  very  impressive  closing  for  a  pageant  where  all  of  the 
characters  are  massed  on  the  stage  Is  to  have  a  recessional. 
The  groups,  usually  In  the  order  in  which  they  came  to  the 
stage,  will  march  out,  preferably  down  the  main  aisle,  into 
the  corridor  and  then  directly  to  the  dressing  rooms.  They 
must  not  be  allowed  to  break  ranks  so  long  as  they  are  in 
view  of  the  audience.  The  massing  of  the  cast  at  the  end, 
followed  by  a  recessional,  occurs  in  the  Thanksgiving 
pageant. 

It  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  hold  the  members  of  the 
cast  in  the  line  until  they  are  out  of  sight  of  the  audience. 
It  is  especially  true  in  an  out-of-door  pageant.  The  breaking 
of  ranks,  prematurely,  robs  the  finale  of  all  dignity  and 
should  be  prevented  by  all  means.  The  author  recalls  two 
such  recessionals  that  show  the  extremes  of  this  tendency  to 


102        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

break  ranks  too  soon.  Both  were  out-of-door  performances. 
In  one  case  the  hundreds  of  characters  massed  upon  the 
stage  left  in  order,  wound  their  way  across  a  bridge,  and 
then  were  lost  to  view  around  a  curve  in  the  drive.  Not  a 
person  left  the  line  so  long  as  they  were  in  sight  of  the 
audience.  It  was  a  very  beautiful  and  impressive  sight.  In 
the  other  case  the  persons  massed  on  the  stage  left  the  stage 
in  order  but  as  soon  as  they  had  passed  beyond  the  stage 
limits  they  broke  ranks  and,  picking  up  their  garments, 
classical  and  otherwise,  climbed  a  fence  and  made,  helter- 
skelter,  for  the  dressing  rooms.  All  this  was  in  plain  view 
of  the  audience.  No  record  was  kept  of  what  the  pageant 
master  said  on  this  occasion,  but  there  is  no  doubt  about  his 
having  said  it. 

It  is  almost  as  difficult  to  hold  the  audience  in  the  seats 
until  the  recessional  has  passed  out  of  sight  as  it  is  to  keep 
the  members  of  the  cast  from  breaking  from  the  ranks  as 
soon  as  they  have  left  the  stage.  The  Thanksgiving  pageant 
was  comparatively  successful  in  holding  the  audience  until 
the  line  had  passed  out.  Two  devices  were  employed  to 
bring  this  about,  either  of  which  alone  should  have  been 
enough  to  prevent  them  from  leaving  their  seats  and 
mingling  with  the  cast  in  the  recessional.  Boy  and  girl 
scouts  were  lined  up  at  the  sides  of  the  aisles  as  close 
together  as  their  numbers  would  permit  and  they  stood  there 
until  all  the  cast  had  left  the  stage,  falling  in  behind  by  twos 
as  the  last  of  the  line  passed  them.  The  other  device  was 
to  have  the  audience  sing  America  as  the  line  passed  out. 
Just  enough  verses  were  used  to  get  all  of  the  cast  off  the 
stage  and  out  of  the  main  entrance.  Both  of  these  devices 
together  served  to  hold  the  audience  until  the  recessional  was 
over.  Each,  used  alone  at  other  times,  has  failed.  There 
were,  of  course,  other  reasons  for  using  these  devices  than 
the  desire  to  hold  the  audience  until  after  the  recessional. 
Both  were  effective,  dramatically,  the  singing  of  the  song 
was  an  appropriate  act  of  patriotism,  and  the  boy  and  girl 
scouts  were  an  essential  part  of  the  last  episode. 


THE   PERFORMANCE  103 

Lost  and  Found. — Although  the  dressing  rooms  are 
cleared  of  the  members  of  the  cast  during  the  performance 
it  is  much  better  to  have  a  responsible  person  in  charge  of 
each  as  a  protection  for  the  clothing  and  other  property  left 
in  them  by  the  cast.  With  so  many  people  using  so  small  a 
space  as  is  usually  available  for  dressing  rooms  small  articles 
are  sure  to  be  lost,  but  if  a  reponsible  person  is  in  charge  of 
each  room  during  the  pageant  there  will  be  little  complaint 
on  account  of  things  being  taken.  Another  way  of  caring 
for  this  matter  is  to  establish  a  check  room  and  advise  all 
members  of  the  cast  to  bring  suitcases  or  traveling  bags  in 
which  to  put  their  things  as  soon  as  they  get  their  costumes 
on,  checking  the  bags  immediately  and  then  reclaiming  them 
when  the  pageant  is  over.  One  great  objection  to  this  plan 
is  that  many  pageant  costumes  have  no  pockets  in  which  the 
check  stubs  can  be  kept  during  the  performance.  Many 
things  are  lost  through  the  carelessness  of  the  owners  but 
many  others  are  taken  from  the  dressing  rooms  when  no 
provision  is  made  for  caring  for  them.  It  cannot  be  pre- 
vented with  the  number  of  persons  who  have  some  part  in 
the  pageant.  It  is  unavoidable  that  some  should  have  little 
respect  for  property  rights.  The  fact  must  be  acknowledged 
and  steps  taken  to  guard  against  such  losses. 

Many  of  the  things  reported  lost  at  the  end  of  the 
pageant  are  found  in  clearing  out  the  dressing  rooms.  The 
dressing  rooms,  after  a  pageant,  are  a  sight  to  discourage 
even  the  least  orderly  of  mortals.  Costumes  and  clothing 
of  all  descriptions  are  stacked  in  the  middle  of  the  floors  or 
strewn  about  with  no  regard  to  their  value  or  ownership. 
When  the  debris  is  cleared  away  most  of  the  lost  articles 
will  have  been  found.  Many  of  the  articles  found  are  never 
claimed.  It  is  almost  beyond  belief  that  people  will  go  home 
without  shoes,  hats,  and  all  other  articles  of  wearing  apparel 
that  usually  go  in  between  these  two.  As  a  matter  of  fact 
everything  from  shoes  up  to  hats  may  often  be  found  in  the 
dressing  rooms  after  a  large  pageant.  Many  of  these  things 
are  doubtless  parts  of  costumes  worn  in  the  pageant  and  dis- 


I04        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

carded  afterward  as  useless,  but  this  will  not  account  for  all 
of  the  things  that  are  nev^er  claimed. 

Number  of  Performances. — Considering  the  time  and 
expense  involved  in  bringing  a  pageant  to  a  successful  per- 
formance, regret  is  often  expressed  that  it  is  so  soon  over. 
That  brings  up  the  question  of  one  or  several  performances. 
If  more  than  one  performance  is  given  they  must  be  given 
within  a  relatively  short  time,  say  a  week,  or  the  groups 
begin  to  disintegrate.  Usually  the  business  manager  asks  if 
the  ticket  office  receipts  will  be  augmented  in  proportion  to 
the  added  expense  of  the  extra  performances.  From  an 
educational  standpoint  it  is  desirable  that  as  many  children 
as  possible  should  see  such  a  production.  These  considera- 
tions are  sufficient  to  make  advisable  more  than  one  per- 
formance of  a  pageant  if  it  is  possible  to  arrange  for  them. 

The  necessity  for  all  of  the  performances  of  a  pageant 
being  given  within  a  comparatively  short  space  of  time  is 
apparent  when  the  number  of  persons  involved  is  remem- 
bered. Some  will  become  ill,  others  will  be  called  out  of 
town  on  business,  and  various  other  very  good  reasons  will 
prevent  some  from  taking  part.  The  total  number  dropping 
out  may  not  be  very  great  but  if  among  that  number  are 
many  having  important  parts  the  substitution  of  new  persons 
may  be  difficult.  Because  of  the  business  men  who  are  tak- 
ing part  it  is  often  impossible  to  arrange  for  afternoon  per- 
formances of  a  pageant.  Very  often,  however,  all  of  the 
business  men  in  a  small  city  will  agree  to  close  their  shops  for 
the  duration  of  the  pageant  on  a  certain  day.  Where  this  is 
possible  two  evening  performances  and  an  afternoon  matinee 
will  be  sufficient  except  in  a  very  large  city  where  the  per- 
formance may  well  be  repeated  every  day  for  a  full  week. 
Saturday  and  Sunday  afternoon  performances  are  especially 
to  be  commended  since  adults  as  well  as  children  are  free  at 
those  times.  Friday  evening,  Saturday  evening,  and  Sunday 
afternoon  would  be  a  good  schedule  of  performances  for  a 
small  city,  i'hursday  evening,  Friday  evening,  and  Sunday 
afternoon  would  he  equally  satisfactory. 


THE   PERFORMANCE  105 

The  business  manager  is  interested  first  of  all  in  the 
returns  from  the  pageant,  so  his  question  is  whether  or  not 
the  returns  from  the  extra  performances  will  warrant  the 
extra  expense.  Experience  shows  that  a  second  and  third 
performance  of  a  pageant  are  as  well  attended  as  was  the 
first  performance.  Indeed,  the  attendance  is  often  larger  as 
the  effectiveness  of  the  pageant  becomes  known.  The 
expense  of  the  extra  performances  is  slight  in  comparison 
with  the  original  expense.  Usually  the  rent  of  the  building 
and  small  amounts  for  lights  and  operators  are  all  the 
expenses  that  are  added.  If  professional  actors  and 
musicians  are  employed  the  expense  of  extra  performances 
will,  of  course,  be  largely  the  same  as  for  the  initial  per- 
formance but  a  real  community  pageant  where  all  except  the 
pageant  master  are  amateurs,  will  not  have  these  expenses 
even  for  the  first  performance. 

The  educational  value  of  a  pageant  to  the  people  of  a 
community  cannot  be  estimated  adequately.  It  far  surpasses 
that  of  the  drama  or  the  films  because  it  is  talked  about 
during  the  period  of  preparation  and  so  those  who  see  it 
have  a  background  of  knowledge  that  is  verified  and  fixed 
by  witnessing  the  spectacle.  The  pageant,  in  itself,  has 
much  greater  historical  value  than  any  one  film  and  is 
especially  worth  while  for  school  children.  The  full  dress 
rehearsal  with  a  small  admission  makes  possible  the  attend- 
ance of  many  children  who  otherwise  could  not  see  the 
pageant.  A  matinee  is  by  far  the  better  plan,  however,  with 
special  rates  for  elementary  and  secondary  school  pupils.  A 
few  adults  will  attend  a  matinee  of  this  sort  and  it  is  desir- 
able that  they  should,  but  they  will  be  in  the  minority. 
Pageant  officers  often  object  when  a  matinee  performance  is 
proposed  because  they  are  afraid  that  an  audience  of  chil- 
dren will  be  noisy  and  unruly.  Their  fear  Is  not  well 
founded.  Matinees  given  in  cities  that  were  mining  or 
industrial  centers  have  proven  exceedingly  satisfactory. 
Buildings  crowded  to  capacity  with  children  were  as  quiet 
and  orderly  as  any  person  could  v/Ish.    The  response  of  an 


io6        THE  TECHNIQUE   OF  PAGEANTRY 

audience  of  children  is  most  stimulating  to  the  actors.  The 
constantly  changing  groups  and  steady  action  of  a  pageant 
hold  the  children's  attention  completely.  The  lack  of  words 
that  they  might  not  understand,  anyway,  is  an  added  advan- 
tage. The  active  imaginations  of  childhood  fill  up  all  gaps 
and  invest  the  characters  with  charm  and  grace  and  sincerity. 
Each  performance,  within  limits,  is  better  than  the  one 
preceding  it  in  spite  of  changes  in  the  cast  that  are  necessary 
when  dealing  with  large  numbers  of  people.  Three  or  four 
performances  of  the  same  pageant  within  a  few  days  have 
not  been  uncommon  in  the  experience  of  the  author.  In  no 
case  was  there  regret  for  having  arranged  for  more  than 
one  performance.  If  the  pageant  is  a  worthy  expression  of 
some  noted  or  impressive  phase  of  the  community's  life,  past 
or  present,  there  must  be  a  feeling  of  enlarged  living  in 
either  seeing  or  enacting  these  noble  events,  and  the  feeling 
is  augmented  rather  than  diminished  by  the  reasonable 
repetition  of  the  experience. 


PAR  T  II 


PROGRAMME 

A    PAGEANT    OF 

THANKSGIVING 

Given  Under  the  Auspices  of 

Savannah  Festival  Association 

and 

S,  H.  S,  Parent-Teacher  Association 

by 

Faculty  and  Students  of  the  Senior  High  School 

Under  Direction  of  the  Principal 

November  29,  1919 
City  Auditorium 


Incidental  Music  by  the  S.  H.  S.  Orchestra 


PAGEANT  OFFICERS 

Chairman DR.  TAFT 

Business  Manager MISS  WINN 

Publicity  Agent MISS  WAYNE 

Pageant  Artist MISS  CABANISS 

Costumers MISS  COOLEY,  MISS  VARNEDOE 

Electrician MR.    FUNK 

Scenic  Manager MR.  McCREERY 

109 


no        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

A  Pageant  of  Thanksgiving 

(Lines  of  Central  Figures  by  Dr.  Taft.) 


The  ceremonies  and  celebrations  held  by  different  peoples  in  thankfulness  for  blessings  received  or 
for  notable  victories  won. 

HYMN  OF  THANKSCmNG 

{To  be  sung  by  audience,  standing) 

Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow; 
Praise  Him  all  creatures  here  below; 
Praise  Him  above,  ye  heavenly  hosts; 
Praise  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost. 

PROLOGUE 

Despair  questions  the  right  of  the  Spirit  of  Thanksgiving  to  her  outlook  towards  the  future.  Hope 
calls  upon  the  nations  of  the  world  to  reproduce  their  great  moments  of  Thanksgiving,  showing  not 
only  how  the  Spirit  of  Thanksgiving  has  developed  and  become  purified,  but  how  in  the  agony  of  the 
world-war  a  fellowship  in  service  was  built  up  that  blossomed  out  into  a  world-wide  Thanksgivang 
when  the  armistice  was  signed. 

Spirit  of  Thanksgiving — Marian  Hartfelder. 

Despair — Mildred  Thomas. 

Hope — Evelyn  Thompson. 

Heralds — Paris  Atkins,  Robert  Bissett,  W.  V.  Davis,  Jr.,  Roddy  Pritchard,  Beverly  Rockwell, 

Rhanston  Stillwell. 
Attendants — W.  C.  Carlisle,  Maude  Warren,  Lloyd  Edenfield,  Sarah  Shuptrine,  Frank  Teeple, 
Morton  Waring,  Max  Pruitt,  Helena  Cunningham,  Robert  Snead,  Humphrey  McCranie, 
Hattie  Pead,  Lucy  Penton,  Inez  Helfrich,  Wesley  McCarroll,  Jesse  Jackson,  Kathryn  White, 
William  Stubbs,  Ruth  Helfrich. 

EPISODE  I 

A  Primitive  Pastoral  Thanksgiving 
Director — H.  G.  Swayne 

A  Primitive  People  make  offerings  to  the  Gods  whom  they  fear  as  well  as  worship  as  an  act  of 
propitiation  rather  than  of  thanksgiving.  ' 

King  of  Tribe — Ambrose  Solomon. 

Favorite  Son — John  Lanier. 

Princess — Gracie  Lanneau. 

Sorcerer — William  Lowndes. 

High  Priest — Claude  Youmans. 

Priestesses — Inez  Keller,  Ruth  Morrow,  Emma  Dunwoody,  Mabel  Carter. 

Slaves  of  the  King — Spencer  Rockwell,  Samuel  Newton,  John  Snead,  Abrara  Leffler. 

Shepherd  of  the  Flocks — Hugh  Saussy. 

Shepherdesses — Angela  Altick,  Natalie  DcWald,  EHzabeth  Cranberry,  Catherine  ParncUe. 

Warriors. and  Members  of  Tribe — Louise  Stokes,  Catherine  Corish,  Ruth  Aimar,  Bertha 
Bookhoop,  Susie  Clyburn,  Walter  Hughes,  Joseph  Levington,  Mary  Shechan,  Sadie  Meyers, 
Margaret  Johnson,  Helen  Lind,  Dorothy rAUan,  Ravenal  Gignilliat,  Decatur  Hankins. 


EPISODE  II 

The  Panathcnaca 

Director — Miss  Olmstead 

Once  each  year  the  Greeks  went  in  a  processional  up  to  the  shrine  of  Athene  with  the  new  robe 
specially  woven  for  their  patron  goddess. 

Greeks — Robert  McPhcrson,  William  Wade,  James  Snedckcr.  Otis  Jones,  J.  T.  Chapman,  Jr., 
Romana  (Jalloway,  Elizabeth  Intrlcsby,  Mary  Waring,  Dorothy  Sellers,  Gladys  Cook,  Kathcrine 
Srnith,  Sara  Clark,  Kathcrine  McGraw,  Cornelia  Cunningham, Margaret  Clay,  Margaret  Dcbclc, 
Elizabeth  WclU,  Anne  Hancock^  Mary  Wam.'.loy,  Marianne  Sugdcn,  Pamela  Baker,  Margaret 
Wells,  Mahia  Kent,  Eleanor  Reid,  Elizabeth  Galllard,  Herman  ParLsh,  George  Cargill,  Charles 
LcWy,  Henry  Hodgkins,  Otto  Scnwalb,  Jami-;  Dolson,  May  V'eruki,  Mildred  Gribblc,  Annie 
Launc  Connor,  Kline  Allen,  James  Brcckcnridgc,  Albert  Waitc,  George  Hahn,  George  Todd, 
Clement  Johnson. 


A   PAGEANT  OF  THANKSGIVING  m 


EPISODE  III 

Pax  Romana 

Director — Miss  Magone 

The  Romans  celebrate  peace  in  the  Roman  dominions,  after  conflict,  in  a  characteristic  procession 
and  offerings  to  the  Gods. 

Augustus — C.  F.  Wiehrs,  Jr. 

Ball  Players — James  Downey,  Robert  Lockett. 

Flute  Players — Bernard  Fuchs,  Benjamin  Symons. 

Dancers— Katherine  Corish,  Ruth  Ferst,  Dorothy  Gordon,  Sarah  Levy,  Willa  Webb,  Elizabeth 

Kaplan,  Varian  Brooke. 
Senators — Lehmon  Bowen,  Emanuel  Lewis,  Alfonso  Orsini,  Meyer  Morris. 
Matrons  and    Maidens — Martha   Youngblood,    Alice   Woodruff,   Lamar   Lucas,    Katherine 

Collins,  Lorraine  Hendry,  Lutie  Webb,  Elizabeth  Stone,  Letilia  McKay,  Bertha  Bradley,  Mary 

Decgan. 
Egyptian  Dancers — Hilda  Span,  Luella  Tripp,  Ethyl  Wilson,  Lily  Belle  Frost. 
YoDTHS — Louis  Friedman,  Albert  Grimm. 


EPISODE  IV 

Confirmation  of  Elhelbert,  King  of  Kent 

Director — Me.  Hodge 

The  crowning  achievement  of  St.  Augustine's  missionary  efforts  in  Britain  was  the  conversion  and 
subsequent  confirmation  of  the  King  of  Kent. 
St.  Augustine — William  Robinson. 
Priests — I.  J.  Gaines,  D.  B.  Hodge. 
CRUarER — Henry  Glenn. 
Ethelbert — Kenneth  Leautey. 
Queen — Olga  Siem. 
Ladies  of  Court — Marie  Bargeron,  Anna  Asendorff,  Gertrude  Schwalb,  Alice  Hillis,  Eloise  Hester, 

WiUie  Godley. 
Courtiers — Charles  Haddon,  Joe  Greenberg,  John  Lytjen. 


.      -  •    .  EPISODE  V 

Crowning  of  Dauphin  of  France 

Director — Mrs.  Strong 

As  a  symbol  of  tne  victories"of  the  French  under  Joan  of  Arc  over  the  English  the  Dauphin  is , 
crowned  in  the  Cathedral  of  Rheims. 
Joan  of  Arc — Miss  Varnedoe. 
Joan's  Squire — John  Foy. 
Archbishop  of  Rheims — Huger  Williams. 
Priest — Jack  Craig. 
Priest— Robert  Pollock. 
Acolytes — Ravenal  GigniUiat,  Kurt  Nanninga. 

Dauphin— Frank  Exley.  '  ' 

Dauphine — Marian  Hesse. 
Constable  of  FRANCE^Cornelius  Ford. 
Princes — Hugh  Saussy,  Frances  Galloway,  Arthur  Hillbraith. 
Ladies  in  WAinNG— Joan  Hartfelder,  Lily  Folger,  Marie  Michel,  Veda  Royall,  Elizabeth  Goodrich, 

Mildred   Geiger,   Katherine  Mulford,   Elizabeth   Norton,   Ethel  Powell,   Dorothy  Grayson, 

Hannah  Foss,  Marie  Krieger,  Myrtle  Burney,  Isabel  Beasley. 
Courtiers — Lamar  Cunningham,  Edward  Lovell,  James  Greene. 
Men-at-Arms— James  Sweat,  Claude  Youmans,  Ridgeley  Warfield,  William  Reckling. 
Pages — Alice  Weichselbaum,  Josephine  Hirsch. 


EPISODE  VI 

Return  of  Columbus 

Director — Miss  Jones 

Columbus  is  received  at  the  Court  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  in  honor  of  his  discovery  of  a  new 
world. 

Isabella — Martha  Perkins. 

Ferdinand — Langford  Anderson. 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Court — Justine  Savarese,  Helen  Whalen,  Rita  Eisenberg,  Marion 
Stubbs,  Anne  Christie,  Evangeline  Grimm,  Mary  Forney,  Annie  Frierson,  Leila  Cubbedge, 
Marie  Garfain,  Anna  Pritchard,  Charles  Wiehrs,  Jules  Benton,  Sam  Idelsohn,  Reginald  Mitchell, 
Philip  Schirm,  Lawrence  Bissett. 

Columbus— <)uincy  Hodges. 

Indians — Clifford  Roberts,  Carl  Rustin,  William  Mobley,  Frances  Stubbs,  Margaret  LaFar. 


112         THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 


EPISODE  VII 

The  First  American  Thanksgiving 

Director — Miss  Beard 

The  Pilgrims,  after  their  first  year  in  the  new  world,  met  to  return  thanks  to  God  for  their  preserva- 
tion and  to  feast  with  their  Indian  neighbors. 
Go\t;rnor  Bradford — Ambrose  Solomon. 
Pilgrims — Alberta  Carson,  Kayton  Smith,  Marguerite  Teeple,  Mildred  Corson,  Marie  Green, 

Elizabeth  Loadholt,  Margaret  Mustin,  Arthur  Davis,  Albert  Rauzin,  William  Lowndes,  Herbert 

Hutton,  Edward  Leonard,  Arthur  Carter,  Thomas  Alnwtt,  Miriam  Stokes,  Gladys  Wolf,  Beth 

Setze,  Louise  Strickland,  Lorraine  Dugger. 
Indians — Clarence  Miller,  Herbert  Matthews,  Horace  Friedman,  George  Heriot,  John  Collins, 

Richard  Dutton,  John  Ohsiek,  Nell  McEachern,  Leola  Clark,  Anna  Clarkin,  Orlean  Cubbedge, 

Margaret  Coulling,  Jeanette  Harris. 

EPISODE  VIII 

The  Federation  of  the  World 

Director — Mrs.  Downey 

The  nations  of  the  world  join  in  thanksgiving  at  the  signing  of  the  Armistice. 

Serbia — Walter  Strong. 

Russia — Mrs.  Floyd,  Miss  Baggs,  Mr.  Clower,  Mr.  Dyer. 

Belgium — Mrs.  J.  S.  Howkins,  Miss  Eugenia  Johnston,  Mrs.  N.  J.  Gillespie,  Mrs.  J.  J.  Powers, 

Mrs.  Thomas  Purse,  Mrs.  Wilbur  Coney,  Mrs.  F.  C.  Battey,  Mrs.  L.  M.  LeHardy,  Mrs.  H.  H. 

Lattimore. 
France — Margaret  Lane. 
Britain — Etta  May  Rimes. 
J.APAN — .'Vnna  Palmer. 
It.^ly — Minnie  Friedman. 
Greece — May  Veruki. 
Aherica — Frances  Wall. 
Girl  Scouts. 
Boy  Scouts. 

Marines — Sergt.  Martin  DeFrank,  Sergt.  J.  A.  Bowen. 
Sailors — Sergt.  J.  W.  Towe,  Mr.  A.  L.  Stalnecker. 
Y.  M.  C.  A.— Kari  Sisterhemn,  Mr.  Willard  Flynn. 

War  Camp  Community  Service — Mrs.  lola  G.  Bishop,  Miss  Martin  Sasnett. 
Overseas  SER\acE — Miss  Sarah  Elliott. 

Surgical  Dressings — Miss  Ruth  Stanton,  Miss  Gertrude  Maree. 
Motor  Corps — Mrs.  Karl  Sisterhemn,  Miss  Eliza  Schley,  Miss  Emma  Walthour. 
C.^nteen — Mrs.  Edwin  Cubbedge,  Miss  Rosalie  Dana. 
Hospital  Social  Service — Miss  Marie  Love,  Miss  Hazel  McNees. 
Home  Service — Miss  Mary  Paul  Wallace,  Miss  Martha  Young. 
Knitting — Helen  Wilkins,  Louise  Jarrott,  Mary  Walker. 
Nursing  Corps — Cassie  Sowell,  Mary  Pettus. 

IX— RECESSIONAL 

As  the  United  States  flag  leaves  the  stage  in  the  Recessional  the  audience  is  requested  to  stand  and 
sing  America. 

Atrurica 

My  country!    'Tis  of  thee.  My  native  country,  thee — 

Sweet  land  of  liberty,  Land  of  the  noble  free, 

Of  thee  I  sing;  Thy  name  I  love; 

Land  where  my  fathers  died  1  I  love  thy  rocks  and  rills, 

Land  of  the  Pilgrim's  pride!  Thy  woods  and  templed  hills; 

From  ev'ry  mountain  side  My  heart  with  rapture  thrills, 

Let  freedom  ring.  Like  that  above. 

Our  fathers'  God!  to  Thee 
Author  of  Liberty, 

To  Thee  we  sing! 
Long  may  our  land  be  bright 
With  freedom's  holy  liehtT 
Protect  us  by  Thy  miglit. 
Great  God,  our  King! 


A  Pageant 
of  Thanksgiving 


BY 

LINWOOD  TAFT,  Ph.D. 


Being  the  ceremonies  and  celebrations  held 
by  different  peoples  in  thankfulness  for  bless- 
ings received  or  for  notable  victories  won. 


Application  for  the  right  to  produce  this 
Pageant  should  be  made  to  the  publishers 


A  PAGEANT  OF  THANKSGIVING 

INTRODUCTION 

At  the  beginning  of  the  pageant  and  before  the  curtain 
rises  the  orchestra  plays  "Old  Hundred"  through  once. 
This  serves  as  a  prelude.  Immediately  the  audience  rises 
and  sings  to  that  tune  the  following  Hymn  of  Thanksgiving. 

Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow; 
Praise  Him  all  creatures  here  below; 
Praise  Him  above,  ye  heavenly  hosts; 
Praise  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost. 

As  the  hymn  of  praise  is  finished  the  curtain  rises.  The 
orchestra  continues  to  play  "Old  Hundred"  while  the  audi- 
ence is  being  seated  and  until  quiet  is  restored.  At  the  right 
of  the  stage  and  near  the  front  is  a  dais  about  two  feet  high 
and  large  enough  for  the  throne-like  seat  of  the  Spirit  of 
Thanksgiving  and  for  Hope  who  stands  at  her  right.  On  a 
low  stool  at  the  left  and  near  the  feet  of  Thanksgiving  is 
seated  Despair,  crouched  over,  with  hair  falling  over  her 
face.  Two  Attendants,  a  young  man  and  a  young  woman, 
stand  at  each  side  of  this  group  and  form  a  part  of  it. 
Opposite  this  group  at  the  left  of  the  stage  is  a  platform  six 
inches  high  and  about  four  feet  square.  Upon  this  platform 
is  an  altar.  In  front  of  the  altar  and  facing  the  group  about 
Thanksgiving  stands,  as  the  curtain  rises,  a  group  of  eight 
Heralds  with  bugles.  About  the  stage  in  attractive  group- 
ings are  fourteen  other  Attendants.  At  the  center  of  the 
stage  near  the  back  is  another  platform  six  inches  high  and 
five  feet  square.  A  broad  flight  of  steps  lead  from  the  stage 
to  the  floor  of  the  auditorium. 

"5 


ii6        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

PROLOGUE 

Spirit  of  Thanksgiving 

Hope 

Despair 

Attendants  (eighteen) 

Heralds  (eight,  with  bugles) 

After  the  singing  of  the  opening  hymn  the  orchestra,  as 
before  stated,  continues  the  music  of  "Old  Hundred"  until 
quiet  is  restored.    As  the  last  chord  dies  away  Hope  speaks. 

Hope. — Such  unison  of  praise  and  thanksgiving  uprising  to  the  throne 
of  the  most  high  God  can  spring  only  from  a  people  with  a  single  aim,  a 
single  purpose,  and  a  single  vision. 

Thanksgiving. — Long  have  I  hoped  for  a  world-wide  unison  of 
thanksgiving:  a  world  at  peace,  praising  God  from  whom  all  blessings 
flow.  Ages  ago,  before  History  was,  primitive  peoples  gathered  in  from 
the  chase  and  from  their  rude  harvests  and  gave  thanks  to  the  gods  they 
feared  and  worshiped.  Such  half-praise,  half-propitiation,  v>'ith  intent 
for  personal,  individual  profit,  was  only  the  first  faint  beginning  of  real 
thankfulness  and  praise.  Other  peoples  in  later  ages  gathered  together 
in  gorgeous  ceremonials  to  fittingly  express  their  joy  over  national  con- 
quests. Yet  even  this  was  but  imperfect,  partial  praise — an  exultation 
over  the  downfall  of  another  sister  nation. 

Shall  there  ever  be  a  full,  unrestricted,  unselfish  thanksgiving  welling 
up  from  the  heart  of  the  world? 

Hope. — With  this  song  of  praise  still  in  our  ears  how  can  we  doubt 
the  universal  brotherhood  of  man  expressed  in  hymns  of  praise? 

Despair. — To-day  ye  join  in  praise,  yes.  But  how  of  yesterday? 
And  will  not  to-morrow  and  all  the  morrows  yet  to  come  be  filled  with 
petty  aims,  self-seeking,  strife  for  place  and  power,  unworthy  deeds  and 
individual  rather  than  universal  gain? 

Hope. — Call  forth  thy  soul,  Despair,  that  it  may  look  upon  the  souls 
of  nations  deeply  moved  to  thankfulness.  Let  it  no  longer  remain  crouched 
in  gloom  perceiving  only  the  world's  mere  material  seeming.  It  is  only  in 
great  moments  that  the  souls  of  nations  as  of  men  stand  forth  in  their  true 
aspects.  Could  you  recall  pictures  of  the  past  you  would  see  how  the 
spirit  of  Thanksgiving  has  ever  reached  higher  and  more  exalted  planes 
as  the  centuries  have  passed  and  the  peoples  of  the  world  have  struggled 
onward  and  upward. 

Thanksgiving. — O  clear-eyed  Hope,  favored  daughter  of  the  stars, 
recall,  I  pray  thee,  these  exalted  moments  of  the  nations.  It  is  only 
through  thee,  if  ever,  that  we  may  sec  and  know  their  aspirations  and  their 
promise. 


A   PAGEANT  OF  THANKSGIVING  117 

At  a  signal  from  Hope  the  Heralds  and  all  of  the 
Attendants  except  the  four  standing  beside  the  Spirit  of 
Thanksgiving  take  their  stations  and  await  the  entrance  of 
the  episode  groups.  There  should  be  a  Herald  at  right  and 
left  of  the  stage  by  the  main  entrances  from  the  wings,  and 
a  pair  of  Heralds  by  each  of  the  entrances  to  the  auditorium. 
We  are  assuming  a  rear  or  east  entrance  and  two  side 
entrances,  north  and  south,  connecting  by  a  cross  aisle  with 
the  main  aisle  which  runs  from  the  east  entrance  up  to  the 
stage.  At  each  entrance  as  many  pairs  of  Attendants  take 
their  stations  as  episode  groups  will  enter  there.  These 
figures  are  always  in  view  of  the  audience  and  must  hold 
their  pose  throughout  the  time  they  are  waiting. 


EPISODE  I 

A  PRIMITIVE   PASTORAL  THANKSGIVING 

Hope. — First  we  must  see  how  primitive  man  sought  the  protection 
and  favor  of  his  Gods. 

The  Herald  at  the  right  of  the  stage  blows  a  bugle  call 
and  the  pair  of  Attendants  assigned  to  this  group  lead  on  the 
people  of  Episode  I.  The  Attendants  take  their  places  at 
the  extreme  front  of  the  stage,  one  at  the  left  and  the  other 
at  the  right,  against  the  arch  and  facing  each  other.  At  the 
end  of  the  episode  they  follow  the  group  from  the  stage. 

King 

Favorite  Son 

Princess 

Sorcerer 

High  Priest 

Priests  or  Priestesses 

Slaves  of  the  King 

Shepherd  of  the  Flocks 

Shepherds  and  Shepherdesses 

Warriors 

Members  of  the  Tribe 

An  oriental  pastoral  people  make  offerings  to  the  Gods 
whom  they  fear  as  well  as  worship  as  an  act  of  propitiation 
rather  than  of  thanksgiving.  They  enter  in  processional 
form  singing  a  rude  harvest  song. 

Hail!    O  thou  Mighty  Ones! 
Gods  of  the  harvest! 
Take  of  our  increase 
First-born  and  fairest. 
Grant  us  protection, 
Keep  us  from  cold  and  harm, 
Bless  with  abundance, 
Make  us  thy  chosen  ones. 

ii8 


A  PAGEANT  OF  THANKSGIVING  119 

So  may  thy  altar  fires 
Ne'er  be  extinguished, 
Never  be  lacking  gifts; — 
Grain,  fruits,  or  flesh! 

The  Slaves  of  the  King  carry  a  rude  canopy  over  him 
as  he  walks.  He  takes  his  place  near  the  center  of  the  stage, 
the  others  grouping  around  him  according  to  their  rank. 
One  by  one  the  people  come  forward  and  show  the  offerings 
they  have  brought.  The  Priests  confer  as  to  the  value  of 
each  gift  and  signify  their  approval  or  displeasure  to  the 
King,  who  praises  or  rebukes  accordingly.  Among  others 
the  Sorcerer  comes  forward  with  his  wand  and  basket  and 
shows  how  he  will  honor  the  gods  by  his  greatest  magic — 
the  charming  of  the  snake  in  his  basket.  (This  can  be  man- 
aged by  strings  tied  to  the  snake's  head  and  manipulated 
from  the  wings.)  After  the  offerings  have  been  shown  the 
rude  chant  is  again  begun  and  the  group  leaves  the  stage  by 
the  left  exit,  followed  by  their  Attendants. 


EPISODE  II 

THE   PANATHEN.€ 

Hope. — A  pagan  people,  rejoicing  always  in  the  fullness  of  life,  still 
remember  that  it  is  meet  for  them  to  set  aside  special  days  for  votive 
offerings  to  the  gods  who  have  blessed  them  with  happiness  and  plenty. 

The  Heralds  at  the  east  entrance  to  the  auditorium 
sound  a  bugle  call  and  the  Attendants  assigned  to  Episode  II 
lead  on  the  Greeks. 

Once  each  year  the  Greeks  went  in  a  processional  up  to 
the  shrine  of  Athene  with  the  new  saffron  robe  specially 
woven  for  their  patron  goddess.  So  now  come  two  Flute 
Boys  leading  (about  ten  feet  behind  the  Attendants)  the 
procession.  Then  come  the  Priests  bearing  the  saffron- 
colored  robe.  They  are  followed  by  men  and  women, 
youths  and  maidens,  all  bearing  some  offering  to  Athene. 
Some  carry  jars  of  oil,  others  baskets  of  fruit  or  garlands  of 
flowers.  Among  other  things  carried  as  offerings  are  baskets 
of  wheaten  cakes.  A  maiden  carries  a  small  harp  across  the 
strings  of  which  she,  from  time  to  time,  draws  her  fingers. 
The  young  men  carry  their  swords  and  spears  which,  with 
their  shields,  they  will  dedicate  anew  to  their  patron  goddess. 

This  is  a  joyous  ceremonial  and  as  the  procession  winds 
its  way  up  the  steps  and  across  the  stage  to  the  left  exit  the 
people  are  happy  and  carefree,  and  talk  and  laugh  with 
some  abandon,  although  they  retain  their  places  in  the  pro- 
cession. 


I30 


EPISODE  III 

PAX   ROMANA 

Hope. — The  ancient  Romans,  doing  everything  in  an  orderly  way, 
ordain  a  special  day  of  celebration  for  the  establishing  of  peace  in  the 
Roman  World. 

The  Heralds  stationed  at  the  south  entrance  to  the  audi- 
torium blow  a  bugle  call  and  the  pair  of  Attendants  assigned 
to  Episode  III  lead  on  the  Romans  in  the  following  order. 

Ballplayers  (two  small  boys) 

Flute  Players  (four  youths) 

Dancers  (six  or  eight) 

Augustus 

Senators 

Matrons  and  Maidens 

Egyptian  Dancers 

Youths 

The  Romans  celebrate  peace  in  the  Roman  dominions, 
after  conflict,  in  a  characteristic  procession  and  offering  to 
the  Gods.  Behind  the  Attendants  come  two  small  boys 
running  about  and  playing  with  a  soft  rubber  ball.  Four 
youths  come  next  with  pipes  of  reed  or  cane  upon  which 
they  appear  to  play.  Following  them  and  dancing  as  though 
to  their  piping  comes  a  group  of  maidens  in  Grecian  cos- 
tumes. They  have  no  studied  steps  in  the  dance  but  each 
expresses  joy  in  free  movements.  The  group  should  have 
the  appearance  of  being  composed  of  running,  whirling,  and 
posturing  figures  that,  however  free  their  movements 
appear,  yet  keep  to  the  space  apportioned  to  them  in  the 
processional.  Augustus,  reverent  and  dignified,  bears  in 
both  hands  at  the  height  of  his  eyes  a  brazen  bowl  in  which 
incense  is  burning. 

121 


122        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

As  the  Attendants  reach  the  stage  they  separate  and  take 
their  stations  at  the  extreme  front  of  the  stage  at  the  left 
and  right  against  the  arch.  The  Senators  group  themselves 
near  the  altar.  The  Matrons  stand  near  the  center  of  the 
stage.  The  others  group  themselves  at  the  back,  Augustus 
approaches  the  altar,  steps  up  on  the  platform,  lifts  high  the 
bowl  of  incense,  and  then  places  it  on  the  altar.  While 
Augustus  is  doing  this  the  others  stand  with  uplifted  faces 
and  arms  extended  in  supplication.  Augustus  makes  a  rev^- 
erent  obeisance  before  the  altar  and  then  takes  his  place  near 
the  Senators.  The  Egyptian  Dancers  now  come  before  the 
altar  and  do  a  characteristic  dance  that  would  leave  an 
Impression  of  reverence  and  praise.  As  this  dance  is  finished 
the  Attendants  come  together  in  the  center  of  the  stage  and 
lead  the  group  off  at  the  right  stage  exit.  Augustus  ap- 
proaches the  altar,  steps  up  on  the  platform,  lifts  high  the 
bowl  of  incense,  steps  down,  and  then,  turning,  takes  his 
place  in  the  procession.  The  music  accompanying  the  action 
ceases  as  the  group  has  left  the  stage  and  Despair  speaks. 

Despair. — What  cause  for  hope  is  here?  Did  they  not  use  their  day 
of  thanksgiving  as  opportunity  for  fresh  conspiracies  and  fratracidal  strife? 

Hope. — Truly  the  Romans  did  besmear  the  escutcheon  of  their  honor 
with  petty  jealousies,  strife  for  place  and  power,  and  with  personal  ambi- 
tion, but  they  so  organized  the  ideas  and  ideals  of  men  that  other  nations 
might  go  forward  from  the  height  they  themselves  were  barely  able  to 
reach.  In  the  fullness  of  their  triumphs  they  still  remembered  the 
heathen  on  the  borders  of  their  dominions  and  through  their  Bishop, 
now  Saint,  Augustine  the  British  King  of  Kent  is  brought  to  a  joyful 
submission  to  the  Christian  faith. 


EPISODE  IV 

CONFIRMATION  OF  THE   KING  OF   KENT 

The  Heralds  on  the  stage,  first  the  one  on  the  right  and 
then  the  one  on  the  left,  sound  a  bugle  call  and  the  Attend- 
ants assigned  to  Episode  IV  lead  on  from  the  right  stage 
entrance  the  following  characters. 

Ethelbert,  King  of  Kent 

His  Queen 

Ladies  of  the  Court 

Courtiers 

Warriors 

The  crowning  achievement  of  St.  Augustine's  missionary 
efforts  in  Britain  was  the  conversion  and  subsequent  con- 
firmation of  Ethelbert,  King  of  Kent.  So  these  characters 
come  m  and  form  a  group  at  the  right  center  of  the  stage  as 
the  Attendants  take  their  places  at  the  front  by  the  arch. 
Then  from  the  left  of  the  stage  come  a  Crucifer  carrying  a 
silver  cross,  two  priests,  and  St.  Augustine  with  a  double 
silver  crozier,  as  in  a  processional  before  service.  They  take 
their  places  near  the  altar,  St.  Augustine  in  front  of  it,  a 
Priest  at  each  side  of  him,  and  the  Crucifer  at  the  left  of  the 
altar.  St.  Augustine  gives  his  crozier  to  a  Priest,  who 
returns  it  after  the  confirmation.  Ethelbert  takes  off  his 
crown  and  hands  it  to  a  Courtier  and  then  kneels  before  St. 
Augustine.  All  of  the  court  also  kneel,  on  both  knees.  St. 
Augustine  lays  his  hands  upon  the  King's  head,  holding  them 
there  as  long  as  it  would  take  to  speak  the  confirmatory 
sentence.  Then,  while  all  are  kneeling,  he  gives  the  Epis- 
copal benediction.  As  they  stand,  Ethelbert  returns  to  his 
place  and  resumes  his  crown.  The  Crucifer  leads  the  pro- 
cession from  the  stage  at  the  left.  He  is  followed  by  the 
Priests,  St.  Augustine,  the  Court,  and  the  Attendants. 

123 


EPISODE  V 

THE  CROWNING  OF  THE  DAUPHIN  OF  FRANCE 

As  a  symbol  of  the  victories  of  the  French  under  Joan 
of  Arc  over  the  English,  the  Dauphin  is  crowned  in  the 
Cathedral  of  Rheims. 

Dauphin 

Dauphine 

Pages 

Constable  of  France 

Princes 

Ladies  in  Waiting 

Courtiers 

Men-at-Arms 

Crucifer 

Acolyt«s 

Assisting  Bishops 

Archbishop  of  Rheims 

Joan  of  Arc 

Joan's  Squire 

Hope. — Again  unfaltering  faith  in  God  and  in  his  Saints  brings  help 
to  a  despairing  people.  The  Maid  of  France,  vision-led,  crowns  the 
Dauphin  at  Rheims  in  symbol  of  the  saving  of  the  Kingdom  of  France. 

The  Heralds  at  the  south  entrance  to  the  auditorium 
blow  a  bugle  call  and  the  Attendants  assigned  to  Episode  V 
lead  on  the  French  Court  group,  in  the  order  listed,  up  the 
aisle  to  the  stage,  taking  their  places  by  the  arch  at  the  front 
as  the  court  groups  about  the  Dau{)hiii  and  Dauphine 
towards  the  right  of  the  stage.  The  Page  who  has  been 
supporting  the  train  of  the  Dauphine  spreads  it  out.  The 
other  rests  the  standard  (white  with  gold  flcur-de-lls)  he 
carries  on  the  floor,  holding  it  erect  with  his  right  hand, 

124 


A  PAGEANT  OF  THANKSGIVING  125 

The  Constable,  who  carries  the  crown  on  a  cushion,  stands 
just  at  the  left  of  the  Dauphin.     A  Courtier  Is  near. 

The  church  group  now  marches  In  from  the  left  of  the 
stage  in  the  order  named  in  the  cast.  The  Crucifer  carries 
a  gold  cross.  He  stands  at  the  left  of  the  altar  but  back 
from  it.  The  acolytes  carry  lighted  candles  in  tall  candle- 
sticks which  they  place  on  the  altar  after  proper  obeisance. 
They  stand  at  each  side  of  the  altar  during  the  coronation. 
The  Archbishop  and  the  attending  Bishops  stand  before 
the  altar.  Joan,  who  is  in  armor  but  without  helmet,  takes 
her  place  near  the  constable.  Her  Squire,  who  carries  her 
white  banner  spangled  with  silver  fleur-de-lis,  stands  behind 
her. 

When  all  are  In  place  Joan  hands  her  sword  and  shield 
to  her  squire,  receives  the  cushion  with  the  crown  from  the 
Constable,  and  takes  her  place  beside  the  attending  Bishop 
nearest  her.  The  Dauphin  removes  the  rich  cape  he  is 
wearing,  hands  it  to  the  Courtier  standing  near,  and  kneels 
before  the  Archbishop.  Joan  presents  the  crown  to  the 
Bishop,  who  lifts  it  from  the  cushion  and  passes  it  to  the 
Archbishop  of  Rheims,  who  lifts  it  high  as  though  presenting 
it  for  divine  blessing  and  then  places  it  on  the  head  of  the 
kneeling  Dauphin.  The  court  stands  with  bowed  heads  while 
the  Archbishop  blesses  them.  As  the  Attendants  come  from 
the  sides  where  they  have  been  standing  to  lead  the  group  back 
down  the  aisle  to  the  south  entrance,  the  Dauphin  goes  back 
to  the  Dauphlne,  his  cape  Is  replaced,  and  they  follow  the 
church  group  as  they  leave  the  stage  behind  the  Attendants. 
The  Acolytes,  meanwhile,  have  taken  the  candles  from  the 
altar  with  suitable  obeisance  and  have  fallen  into  line  behind 
the  Crucifer,  as  in  their  entrance.  The  Bishops,  the  Arch- 
bishop, and  the  Court  follow  In  order. 

Despair  watches  them  curiously  as  they  disappear. 

Despair. — Yet  these  same  Frenchmen,  with  the  coronation  of  their 
prince  fresh  in  their  memories,  yield  up  their  savior  to  the  savage  hate 
and  bigotry  of  their  enemies — a  human  sacrifice  upon  an  altar  of  fire?  Is 
this  a  fitting  expression  of  thanksgiving! 


126        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

Hope. — They  erred,  'tis  true.  The  few,  seeing  according  to  their 
faith  and  acting  for  the  many,  did  deliver  the  Maid  over  to  death  and  to 
calumny  worse  than  death,  but  her  ideal  of  service  to  her  king  and  to  her 
country  triumphed  over  the  bonds  of  death  and  hate  and  her  spirit 
became  the  inspiration  of  millions  of  Frenchmen  who  revered  her  name 
and  presently  elevated  her  to  their  most  exalted  galaxy  of  saints  where 
she  is  honored  and  glorified.  In  all  their  battles  in  the  times  since  then 
they  have  felt  that  she  has  fought  for  them.  Her  spirit  has  given  them 
courage  even  to  the  saying  of  an  implacable  and  almost  irresistible  foe 
on  the  field  of  Verdun,  "They  shall  not  pass." 

But  there  had  not  yet  been  time  for  men  to  rise  above  the  fears 
and  superstitions  of  an  earlier  age.  Yet  the  end  of  the  same  century 
whose  early  years  saw  the  celebration,  with  mass  and  coronation,  of 
the  overthrow  of  a  sister  nation,  saw  a  more  magnificent  spectacle  pro- 
claimed in  honor  of  the  peaceful  conquest  of  a  new  world.  Spain 
honors  Columbus  for  the  discovery  of  a  New  World. 


EPISODE  VI 

COLUMBUS   RECEIVED  AT  THE  COURT  OF  SPAIN 

Columbus  is  received  at  the  Court  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella  in  honor  of  his  discovery  of"a  new  world. 

Ferdinand 

Isabella 

Ladies  of  the  Court 

Gentlemen  of  the  Court 

Columbus 
Indians 

The  Heralds  stationed  at  the  east  entrance  to  the  audi- 
torium blow  a  call  and  the  Attendants  for  Episode  VI  lead 
the  Spanish  Court  group  up  the  center  aisle  to  the  stage, 
taking  their  places  at  the  front  by  the  arch  as  the  King  and 
Queen  mount  the  small  platform  at  the  rear  of  the  stage  and 
the  members  of  the  court  group  themselves  around,  leaving 
the  center  of  the  stage  free. 

Columbus,  followed  by  the  Indians,  comes  on  from  the 
right  of  the  stage.  They  take  their  places  near  the  center 
of  the  stage.  Columbus  kneels  before  the  King,  who 
invites  him  to  stand.  He  rises  and  faces  the  King  in  such 
a  manner  that  he  presents  nearly  a  side  view  to  the  audience. 
He  calls  the  Indians  forward  one  by  one  and  exhibits  the 
things  they  carry  as  trophies  of  the  new  world  in  the  west. 
One  Indian  may  carry  some  ears  of  corn,  another  a  live 
parrot,  another  some  rude  gold  ornaments.  The  Chief 
removes  his  headdress  for  the  inspection  of  the  King,  who 
passes  it  to  a  Lady.  She  tries  it  on,  to  the  alarm  of  the 
Chief  and  to  the  joy  of  the  court.  Indian  women  have  bowls 
and  jars  of  clay,  baskets,  and  bead  ornaments. 

127 


128         THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

When  everything  has  been  admired  the  entire  group 
leaves  the  stage  by  the  right  stage  entrance,  followed  by  the 
Attendants.  As  the  King  and  Queen  move  towards  the  exit 
they  pause  and  motion  for  Columbus  to  follow  them,  pre- 
ceding the  court.  The  Indians  come  at  the  end,  single  file, 
just  ahead  of  the  Attendants. 

Despair  has  watched  throughout  the  scene  with  her  eyes 
on  Columbus.     As  the  music  ceases  she  turns  to  Hope. 

Despair. — Another  devoted  leader,  bringing  to  his  sovereign  glory 
and  honor  and  riches  and  power — yet  he  dies  in  poverty  and  extreme 
neglect,  bowed  down  by  the  ignominy  of  chains  and  imprisonment. 

Hope. — Be  patient  yet  a  little  longer,  Sister  of  my  Heart.  In  the  end 
you  yet  shall  see  a  world  at  last  conscious  of  its  responsibilities  to  those 
individuals  who  have  made  their  all-but-supreme  sacrifice  for  a  universal 
peace  and  for  their  ideal  of  democracy.  Yet  first  one  other  picture 
would  I  show.  The  Pilgrim  Fathers,  established  for  religious  freedom  on 
a  bleak  and  rock-bound  shore,  hold  a  day  of  solemn  thanksgiving  and 
feasting  with  their  native  neighbors  in  memory  of  the  watchful  care  and 
protection  of  the  Father  of  us  all. 


EPISODE  VII 

THE  FIRST  AMERICAN  THANKSGIVING 

The  Pilgrims,  after  tlieir  first  year  in  the  new  world, 
meet  to  return  thanks  to  God  for  their  preservation  and  to 
feast  with  their  Indian  neighbors. 

The  Heralds  stationed  at  all  entrances  blow,  in  succes- 
sion, a  bugle  call.  Attendants  who  have  been  standing  near 
the  stage  entrances  since  the  beginning  of  Episode  I  come 
forward  and  take  their  places  by  the  arch  at  the  front  of  the 
stage.  From  the  various  entrances  come,  in  couples  and 
small  groups,  the  Pilgrims,  who  meet  and  greet  each  other 
on  the  stage  as  people  are  wont  to  do  in  a  public  place.  This 
should  be  done  calmly  and  deliberately,  without  hurry.  Last 
of  all  comes  a  group  of  Indians,  braves  and  squaws,  with  a 
group  of  Indian  girls  behind  them.  The  Indians  do  not 
mingle  very  freely  with  the  Pilgrims  but  keep  somewhat 
apart. 

After  suitable  greetings  have  been  extended  to  the 
Indians  Governor  Bradford  steps  forward  and  reads  a 
Thanksgiving  lesson: 

When  the  Lord  turned  again  the  captivity  of  Zion,  we  were  like  them 
that  dream. 

Then  was  our  mouth  filled  with  laughter,  and  our  tongue  with  singing: 
then  said  they  among  the  heathen,  The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for 
them. 

The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us;   whereof  we  are  glad. 

Turn  again  our  captivity,  O  Lord,  as  the  streams  in  the  south. 

They  that  sow  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy. 

He  that  goeth  forth  and  weepeth,  bearing  precious  seed,  shall  doubtless 
come  again  with  rejoicing,  bringing  his  sheaves  with  him. — (Psalm  126.) 

Praise  ye  the  Lord.  Sing  unto  the  Lord  a  new  song,  and  his  praise  in 
the  congregation  of  the  saints. 

129 


I30        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

Let  Israel  rejoice  in  him  that  made  him;  let  the  children  of  Zion  be 
joyful  in  their  King. 

Let  them  praise  his  name  in  the  dance;  let  them  sing  praises  unto  him 
with  the  timbrel  and  harp. 

For  the  Lord  taketh  pleasure  in  his  people;  he  will  beautify  the  meek 
with  salvation. — (Psalm  149,  1-4.) 

Praise  ye  the  Lord.  Praise  God  in  his  sanctuary:  Praise  him  in  the 
firmament  of  his  power. 

Praise  him  for  his  mighty  acts:  praise  him  according  to  his  excellent 
greatness. 

Praise  him  with  the  sound  of  the  trumpet:  praise  him  with  the  psaltery 
and  harp. 

Praise  him  with  the  timbrel  and  dance:  praise  him  with  stringed 
instruments  and  organs. 

Praise  him  upon  the  loud  cymbals:  praise  him  upon  the  high  sounding 
cymbals. 

Let  everything  that  hath  breath  praise  the  Lord.  Praise  ye  the  Lord. 
— (Psalm  150.) 

The  group  of  Indian  maidens  dance  the  corn  dance  which 
symboHzes  the  digging  of  the  hills  for  the  corn,  planting, 
covering,  reaping,  husking,  and  grinding  it,  and  finally  the 
offering  of  the  meal  to  the  Great  Spirit.  As  the  dance  ends 
the  Attendants  come  together  at  the  center  of  the  stage  and 
lead  the  Pilgrims  and  Indians  out  the  center  aisle  through 
the  east  entrance  to  the  auditorium. 


EPISODE  VIII 

THE  FEDERATION  OF  THE  WORLD 

The  nations  of  the  world  join  in  thanksgiving  at  the 
signing  of  the  armistice. 

Hope. — So  from  its  far-off  rude  beginnings  have  we  s^en  the  spirit  of 
praise  and  thankfulness  grow  and  purify  itself.  We  now  shall  see  ful- 
filled the  vision  of  the  poet  of  an  earlier  age  who  looked. 

"...  into  the  future  far  as  human  eye  could  see; 
Saw  the  vision  of  the  world,  and  all  the  wonder  that  would  be, — 

Till  the  war-drum  throbb'd  no  longer,  and  the  battle  flags  were  furled 
In  the  Parliment  of  man,  the  Federation  of  the  world." 

We  shall  see  with  what  universal  acclaim  the  nations  of  the  world  only 
two  short  years  ago,  abandoning  the  daily  occupations  of  life  and  gath- 
ering in  the  public  places  and  houses  of  worship,  gave  voice  to  their  over- 
powering thankfulness.  Their  joy  was  not,  mark  you,  Despair,  that  a 
nation  had  gone  down  in  defeat  by  force  of  arms,  but  that  a  higher  con- 
ception of  democracy  became  potentially  realized  with  the  overthrow  of 
autocracy  and  the  establishment  of  the  Parliament  of  man,  the  Feder- 
ation of  the  world  visioned  by  the  poet. 

I  will  now  unroll  before  you  the  procession  of  the  nations  joining 
together  in  heartfelt  praise  over  the  signing  of  the  document  that  put 
an  end  to  the  horrors  of  that  great  disaster  of  the  centuries.  As  they 
come  mark  how  the  great  and  good  of  the  past  return  to  reinforce  the 
present  and  how  the  present,  through  its  organized  youth,  looks  for- 
ward with  yet  new  promise  to  a  still  more  exalted  future. 

The  Heralds  at  the  south  entrance  sound  their  trumpets 
and  a  man  in  Serbian  costume,  carrying  the  Serbian  flag 
comes  to  the  stage  to  the  music  of  the  national  anthem.  He 
stands  on  the  platform  at  the  rear  of  the  stage  facing  the 

131 


132         THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

south  and  east.  The  Heralds  at  the  north  entrance  sound  a 
call  and  a  woman  in  long  lilac  and  purple  robes,  carrying  the 
Belgian  flag,  comes  to  the  stage.  She  is  followed  by  eight 
other  women  in  lilac  and  gray.  Belgium  stands  on  the  small 
platform  near  Serbia.  Her  followers  line  up  behind  her 
facing  her  flag  instead  of  the  audience.  The  entrance  of 
Belgium  is  accompanied  by  the  national  air.  The  Heralds 
at  the  east  entrance  now  sound  a  call  and  two  men,  one  car- 
rying the  flag  of  the  Russian  provisional  government,  and 
two  women  in  Russian  peasant  costumes,  singing  the  old 
Russian  Hymn,  without  accompaniment,  come  up  the  center 
aisle  and  take  their  places  behind  and  facing  Serbia.  In  this 
way  they  face  the  center  of  the  stage  near  the  back.  They 
balance  the  followers  of  Belgium,  who  are  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  stage.  The  Heralds  at  the  south  entrance  blow 
a  call  and  a  young  woman  in  pink  carrying  the  French  flag 
comes  to  the  stage  and  stands  beside  the  Russian  who  carries 
the  flag.  She  is  followed  at  a  distance  of  twenty  feet  by  the 
people  of  Episode  V  led  by  their  Attendants.  They  go  up 
stage,  pass  between  France  and  the  Russians,  and  stand 
behind  and  facing  the  French  flag  rather  than  the  audience. 
The  line  may  extend  into  the  wings  if  there  is  not  room 
on  the  stage.  It  is  essential  that  the  line  be  kept  unbroken. 
The  Heralds  at  the  north  entrance  now  sound  a  call  and  a 
young  woman  in  dull  pale  green  carrying  the  British  flag 
comes  to  the  stage  and  stands  opposite  France  and  facing 
her  at  a  distance  of  four  feet.  Britain  is  followed  at  a 
distance  of  twenty  feet  by  the  people  of  Episode  IV  lead  by 
their  Attendants.  They  pass  up  the  center  of  the  stage 
between  Britain  and  France,  then  turn  to  the  left  between 
Britain  and  the  Belgians  and  stand  back  of  and  facing  the 
British  flag.  This  and  all  other  groups  may  extend  out  Into 
the  wings  if  necessary  In  order  to  keep  the  line  Intact  for  the 
Recessional.  Japan,  represented  by  a  single  figure  carrying 
the  Japanese  flag  or  by  a  group  following  the  leader  with 
the  flag,  Is  now  announced  by  the  Heralds  at  the  south 
entrance  and  comes  to  join  her  ally,  Britain.     They  stand  at 


A  PAGEANT  OF   THANKSGIVING  133 

the  end  of  the  line  behind  the  British  flag.     The  Heralds  at 
the   south   entrance   now  sound  another  call   and   a   young 
woman  in  lavender  carrying  the  Italian  flag  comes  to  the 
stage  and  stands  beside  France.    The  people  of  Episode  III 
led  by  their  Attendants  come  as  the  others  have  done  and, 
passing  between  Italy  and  France,   fall  in  line  facing  the 
Italian  flag.     From  the  north  entrance  a  call  is  sounded  and 
a  young  woman  in  pale  yellow  carrying  the  Greek  flag  comes 
to  the  stage  and  stands  beside  Britain  and  facing  Italy.    The 
people  of  Episode  II,  led  by  their  Attendants,  follow  and, 
passing  between  Greece  and  Britain,  stand  facing  their  flag. 
A  call  is  now  sounded  from  the  east  entrance  and  as  the 
orchestra  begins  to  play  the   Star  Spangled  Banner,   Boy 
Scouts  and  Girl  Scouts,  two  by  two,  march  in  from  both 
north  and  south  entrances.    As  these  lines  meet  at  the  center 
aisle  the  lines  on  the  stage  side  join,  each  leaving  the  former 
partner   and  taking  a   new   one   from  the   other  line,   and 
marching  toward  the  stage.    At  the  same  time  the  other  lines 
have  joined  and  marched  toward  the  east  entrance.     They 
all  now  face  their  partners  and  move  backward  until  they 
are  near  the  seats,  leaving  the  open  aisle  between  the  lines. 
They  stand  at  "salute"  until  the  young  woman  In  white  carry- 
ing the  United  States  flag  comes  from  the  east  entrance  and, 
passing  between  the  lines  of  scouts,  takes  her  place  on  the  stage 
beside  Italy.     The  scouts  now  stand  at  "attention"  until  the 
end  of  the  pageant.     The  Pilgrims,  led  by  their  Attendants, 
follow  the  United  States  flag  up  the  aisle  between  the  lines 
of  scouts   and,  passing  between  America   and   Italy,   stand 
facing  the  flag.     While  the  Star  Spangled  Banner  is  still 
being  played  representatives   of  all   forms  of  war  service 
come  and  stand  In  line  opposite  the  United  States  flag  and 
faoing  It  and  the  Pilgrims.     The  following  are  suggested  as 
suitable    for  this   group:    Soldiers,    Sailors,    Marines,   etc., 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  K.  of  C,  Salvation  Army,  War  Camp  Com- 
munity Service,  Overseas  Service,  Surgical  Dressings,  Motor 
Corps,    Canteen,    Hospital   Social   Service,    Home   Service, 
Knitting,  Nursing  Corps. 


134        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

The  stage  Is  now  filled  with  people  all  facing  the  center 
of  the  stage  which  is  left  as  an  aisle  four  feet  wide  from  the 
front  to  the  back  of  the  stage.  At  the  back  are  seen  Serbia 
and  Belgium  standing  on  the  platform.  On  each  side  of  the 
aisle  are  the  flags  of  the  nations.  While  the  war  workers 
have  been  coming  to  the  stage  the  Attendants  of  Episode  I 
have  come  onto  the  stage  at  the  right  back,  unnoticed,  and 
taken  their  stand  In  readiness  to  fall  in  line  behind  Serbia 
in  the  Recessional.  The  Attendants  of  Episode  VI  have  at 
the  same  time  come  on  at  the  left  back  ready  to  fall  in  line 
behind  the  Belgians  and  ahead  of  the  Russians.  It  will 
be  noted  that  the  people  of  Episodes  I  and  VI  have  been 
given  no  place  in  the  Recessional. 


EPISODE  IX 

THE   RECESSIONAL 

As  the  last  war  worker  reaches  the  stage  the  music 
changes  to  the  Gloria  from  Haydn's  First  Mass  in  Bb- 
The  Heralds  march  to  the  stage  and  turn  ready  to  lead  the 
Recessional.  They  are  joined  by  the  Heralds  whose  stations 
have  been  on  the  stage.  The  Scouts  are  still  lining  the  main 
aisle  to  the  east  entrance. 

The  Heralds  leave  the  stage  first,  going  down  the  main 
aisle  and  out  the  east  entrance.  They  are  followed  by  Serbia, 
Attendants  to  Episode  I,  Belgians,  Attendants  to  Episode 
VI,  the  Russians,  France  and  the  French,  Britain  and  the 
British  with  Japan,  Italy  and  the  Romans,  Greece  and  the 
Greeks,  America  and  the  Pilgrims,  the  War  Workers. 
These  should  leave  the  stage  as  groups,  each  group  being 
compact  together  but  separated  from  the  other  groups  by 
about  ten  feet.  As  the  United  States  flag  leaves  the  stage 
the  audience  stands,  there  is  a  pause  for  a  moment,  then 
without  prelude  save  a  single  chord,  all  join  in  singing 
America. 

My  country!     'Tisofthee, 
Sweet  land  of  liberty. 

Of  thee  1  sing; 
Land  where  my  fathers  died! 
Land  of  the  Pilgrim's  pride! 
From  ev'ry  mountain  side 

Let  freedom  ring. 

My  native  country,  thee — 
Land  of  the  noble  free, 
Thy  name  I  love; 

135 


136         THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

I  love  thy  rocks  and  rills, 
Thy  woods  and  templed  hills: 
My  heart  with  rapture  thrills, 
Like  that  above. 

Our  father's  God!  to  Thee, 
Author  of  Liberty, 

To  Thee  we  sing! 
Long  may  our  Land  be  bright 
With  freedom's  holy  light! 
Protect  us  by  Thy  might, 

Great  God,  our  King! 

As  the  War  Workers  leave  the  stage  Despair  is  seen  to 
have  arisen,  thrown  back  her  veil  of  hair,  dropped  her 
outer  garment  of  dull  gray,  and  now  stands  radiant  in  bril- 
liant purple.  The  curtain  falls  on  the  group  of  central 
figures,  Thanksgiving,  Hope,  Despair,  and  the  four  Attend- 
ants who  have  stood  beside  Thanksgiving  during  the 
pageant,  as  the  last  of  the  War  Workers  leave  the  stage,  or 
the  curtain  may  remain  up  until  the  three  stanzas  of  America 
are  finished.  The  Scouts  fall  in  behind  the  War  Workers, 
those  nearest  the  stage  going  first  and  then  the  others  in 
order.     The  pageant  ends  with  the  last  words  of  America. 

MUSIC  APPROPRIATE  FOR  THE  PAGEANT 

Prologue  Old  Hundred 

Episode         I.  No  orchestra 

Episode       II.  Aida  March Verdi 

Episode     III.  Antony's  Victory Gruenwald 

Episode      IV.  Gloria  from  First  Mass  in  Bb Haydn 

Episode        V.  In  the  Arbor Gruemvald 

Episode      VI.  Aria  in  D Barri 

Episode    VII.  Ein  Feste  Burg Luther 

Chant  du  Nord  (for  Corn  Dance) Lange 

Episode  VIII.  National  Anthems  of  the  Nations. 

1.  Serbian  Hymn. 

2.  La  Brabanconnc  (Btigian). 

3.  God  save  our  noble  Czar  (Russian). 

4.  La  Marseillaise  (French). 

5.  Rule,  Britannia  (British). 


A   PAGEANT  OF  THANKSGIVING  137 

6.  Kimagayo  (Japanese). 

7.  Garibaldi  Hymn  (Italian). 

8.  Greek  Hymn. 

9.  Star  Spangled  Banner. 

Episode     IX.  Gloria  from  First  Mass  in  Bb Haydn 

America 

As  soon  as  the  bugle  call  has  sounded  for  an  episode  the 
orchestra  begins  the  appropriate  music  and  continues  it  until 
the  episode  is  finished  and  the  group  is  out  of  the  auditorium. 
If  lines  are  spoken,  as  in  Episode  VII,  the  music  softens 
down  and  stops  for  them.  In  Episode  III  the  music  of  the 
episode  is  suitable  for  the  dance  if  the  rhythm  is  strongly 
marked.  In  Episode  VII  the  music  for  the  dance  of  the 
Indian  Maidens  is  used  for  the  exit  of  the  group  as  well  as 
for  the  dance. 

Color  Scheme  for  the  Pageant 

If  the  stage  can  be  draped  in  a  soft  gray  material  that 
hangs  in  straight,  simple  folds  a  most  effective  background 
will  be  secured.  The  stage  and  auditorium  are  brilliantly 
lighted  throughout  the  pageant.  If  a  flood  light  can  be 
focused  on  the  group  of  central  figures  it  will  throw  them 
into  a  desirable  high  relief. 

A  satisfactory  color  scheme  for  the  pageant  is  as  follows. 
The  Spirit  of  Thanksgiving,  soft  corn  color;  Hope,  soft 
pastel  tones  of  pink,  lavender,  yellow,  green,  etc.,  in  vertical 
stripes  under  a  spangled  net  tabard  that  comes  to  the  bottom 
of  the  dress;  Despair,  brilliant  purple  with  an  over  garment 
of  dull  gray  that  can  be  slipped  off  easily;  Attendants  beside 
Thanksgiving,  red  purple,  orange,  lilac,  yellow;  other  At- 
tendants, any  soft  harmonizing  colors  based  on  the  colors 
for  their  episodes;  Heralds,  white  with  lilac  tabards 
decorated  with  gold. 

Episode         I.  Heavy  reds,  browns,  and  dull  blue. 
Episode       H.  Yellow  through  orange  to  brown. 

Episode  HI.  White,  lilac,  purple,  gold. 

Episode  IV.  Dull  blues,  greens,  silver. 


138         THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

Episode        V.  Rose  pink,  red  purple,  blue  lavender,  red  orange,  gold. 
Episode      \  I.   Black,  various  tones  of  orange. 
Episode    VII.  Gray,  brown,  black. 
Episode  VIII.  Serbia,  bright  colors. 

Belgium,  purple  and  lilac. 

Russians,  browns,  grays,  burnt  orange. 

France,  soft  pink. 

Britain,  dull  pale  green. 

Japan,  any  colors. 

Italy,  soft  faint  lavender. 

Greece,  pale  yellow. 

America,  white  or  cream. 


Descriptive  Programme 

Historic  Festival  and 

Pageant 

SAVANNAH 

A  Hundred  Years  Ago 


1819 

AND 

1919 


Author  and  Pageant  Master,  DR.  LINWOOD  TAFT 
Musical   Director,    MISS    ESTELLE    CUSHMAN 


Presented  by  The    SAVANNAH 
FESTIVAL    ASSOCIATION 

Mr.  E.   v«^.    ROBERTS,    President 


MUNICIPAL    AUDITORIUM 
April  24,  19 19        -        Savannah,  Ga. 


SAVANNAH   FESTIVAL  ASSOCIATION 

Officers 

E.  S.  ROBERTS General  Chairman 

NINA  A.  PAPE First  Vice  Chairman 

HORTENSE  M.  ORCUTT.. Secofid  Vice  Chairman 

EDITH  D.   JOHNSTON Secretary 

D.  M.  MYERS Treasurer 

CLARE  VAUGHAN Custodian 


Savannah   Historical   Pageant 

April  24,   1919 

EPISODES  AND  DIRECTORS 

Senior  High  School  Drum  Corps,  J.  P.  Gardner,  Drum 
Major  and  Acting-President. 

Savannah  with  Heralds,  Buglers,  Attendants.  Miss 
Sarah  Cunningham,  Dr.  Taft. 

Spirit  of  the  Savannah  River  with  attendant  nymphs  and 
dryads.     Mr.  Noble  A.  Hardee,  Miss  Katherine  Storer. 

The  Hundred  Years.  The  Huntingdon  Club.  Miss 
Sarah  Cunningham. 

I.  The  Founding  of  Bethesda.     Mrs.  A.  R.  Lawton. 

II.  Founding  of  Savannah  Female  Orphanage.  Mrs. 
John  L.  Cabell. 

III.  Ball  in  honor  of  President  Monroe.  Mrs.  J.  S. 
Wood,  State  Regent,  D.  A.  R. 

IV.  Cast  of  "The  Soldier's  Daughter,"  the  play  given 
at  the  opening  of  the  Savannah  Theater.  Miss  S.  L. 
Magone.     Mrs.  Annot  B.  Downey. 

V.  Opening  Reception  of  Chatham  Academy.  Mrs. 
T.  Mayhew  Cunningham,  Jr.,  Miss  Anna  M.  Winn. 

VI.  Mr.  Goodwin's  Dancing  School.  Pape  and  Myers 
Schools.     Miss  Clara  Vaughan. 

VII.  Visit  of  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  Lachlan  Mcin- 
tosh Chapter,  D.  A.  R.     Mrs.  E.  P.  Noyes,  Regent. 

Pageant  Committee:  Miss  Hortense  Orcutt,  Chairman; 
Miss  Jessie  Anderson,  Mr.  Noble  A.  Hardee,  Miss  Jane 
Judge,  Dr.  Linwood  Taft,  Miss  Clara  Vaughan. 

The  Girl  Scouts  acting  as  ushers  and  attendants.  Mrs. 
J.  Izlar  Oliveros. 

141 


142         THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

MEMBERS  OF  ORCHESTRA 

Miss  Estelle  Cushman,  Director 

Violins:  Concert  Master,  Ralston  Wylly;  Miss  Grace 
Cushman,  Mr.  Roscoe  Lovell,  Lawrence  Alnutt,  Edwin 
Sickles,  David  Rogers,  Henry  Whiteman,  Albert  Wylly. 

'Celli :  Mr.  Samuel  Lawrence,  Kenneth  Palmer, 

Flute:   Garry  Boyle 

Horns:    Sylvan  Hirsch,  Mortimer  Hazlehurst. 

Drum :  William  Dooner. 

Tympani :  Neal  Banks. 

Pianist:   George  Ball. 

SPIRIT  OF  SAVANNAH,  SPIRIT  OF  THE  RIVER, 

AND  ATTENDANTS 

Spirit  of  Savannah. — Miss  Frances  Howard. 

Attendants. — Misses  Ellen  Johnson,  Eleanor  Puder, 
Mildred  Freeman,  Mary  New,  May  Inglesby,  Sena 
Jones. 

Heralds. — W,  Cosby  Carlisle,  Stephen  A.  Wilson. 

Buglers. — Paris  S.  Atkins,  Robert  Bissett,  Edwin 
Hodgkins,  R.  S.  Pritchard,  Jr.,  Beverly  Rockwell, 
Rhanston  B.  Stillwell. 

Spirit  of  Savannah  River. — Mrs.  G.  Arthur  Gordon. 

Nymphs  and  Dryads. — Frances  Brown,  Eleanor  Cor- 
ish,  Harriet  Stewart,  Jeannette  Strong,  Dorsey  Bruen, 
Mary  Stuart  Gordon,  Beverly  Trosdal,  Caroline 
Lovell,  Mary  Cope,  Mary  Bond,  Margaret  Stod- 
dard, Virginia  Bourne,  Eleanor  May,  Mary  Lane, 
Gertrude  Corish,  Anne  Staplcton,  Margaret  O'Brien, 
Alicia  Baran  and  Rosalie  Hull. 


HISTORICAL   FESTIVAL   AND   PAGEANT     143 

Savannah. — "Nearly  two  centuries  have  passed  since 
first  Savannah  sprang  to  vivid  life  !  Savannah !  City  by  the 
sea!  Gift  of  the  river  whose  name  we  bear!  Years  upon 
years  of  brilliant  glowing  life  have  been  our  portion.  From 
many  lands  and  from  far  distant  climes  have  come  great 
men  and  women  to  rest  within  our  heart  and  to  do  great 
deeds  and  shape  the  noble  events  that  have  diademmed  our 
crown  with  stars  of  splendor.  No  year  has  passed  without 
some  wonder  left  behind  as  a  remembrance.  Yet  through 
all  the  sparkling  years  and  honorable  renown,  one  group  of 
years  shines  out,  destiny  illumined,  as  the  crowning  glory  of 
an  illustrious  life.  Within  the  meager  confines  of  a  single 
year  such  high  and  noble  circumstances  shaped  themselves 
that  here  we  give  pause  once  more,  on  this  anniversary  day,  to 
review  the  wonders  of  a  century  ago.  We  shall  see  brave  men 
and  devoted  women,  dedicated  to  the  high  service  of  God 
and  of  humanity,  establish  refuges  for  the  desolate;  homes 
for  the  destitute  of  God's  little  ones.  The  Arts  contribute 
of  their  grace  and  culture;  the  drama  with  Its  pictured  life, 
music  with  Its  moving  cadence,  and  rhythmic  motion  with 
the  charm  and  dignity  of  measured  step.  The  nation's  chief 
executive  comes  to  honor  the  sailing  of  our  namesake-ship. 
Wise  and  learned  men  establish  halls  of  education  and  of 
worship.  The  gallant  Frenchman,  renewing  his  allegiance 
to  a  once  struggling  nation,  receives  from  us  and  from  our 
children  the  warmest  welcome  In  our  gift.  These  only  of  the 
scores  of  high  and  noble  deeds  of  the  century  may  we  pic- 
ture; yet  all  others  should  we  hold  in  due  remembrance.  Go, 
Heralds,  to  the  appointed  stations  and  announce  the  moving 
of  the  memories  of  the  past." 

A  fanfare  of  trumpets  accompanies  the  Heralds  as  they 
conduct  Savannah  to  her  dais  and  then  take  their  stations. 
Savannah  remains  standing  until  the  flourish  of  trumpets 
ends  and  then  speaks  again: 

"Yet  this  review  must  needs  give  place,  for  a  time,  to 
those    more    elemental    influences    that    underlay    our    very 


144         THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

origin.  Ho,  Heralds,  summon  to  us  here  the  spirits  of  the 
great  river  whose  name  is  ours  and  from  whose  bounties  we 
do  Hv^e.  Call  forth  the  nymphs  of  the  forests  and  the  fields 
who  gave  of  their  carefully  guarded  treasures  that  we  might 
live  and  grow." 

The  Buglers  in  attendance  upon  Savannah  sound  a  call 
which  is  answered  by  other  Buglers.  The  Spirit  of  the 
River  accompanied  by  nymphs  and  dryads  dance  in  symbol 
of  their  gifts  to  the  city. 

"And  at  her  feet  the  silent  waters  flow 
Oft  kissed  by  zephyrs  rare  and  sunsets  glow!" 

Savannah. — "And  now,  my  Heralds,  bid  those  appear 
whose  noble  lives  and  deeds  of  high  endeavor  we  here  com- 
memorate." 

Herald. — "Call  back  the  years,  the  hundred  years,  that 
round  our  century  of  remembrances.  Bid  them  unroll  before 
us  their  measured  passing.  From  out  their  midst  retain  with 
us  that  most  niemorable  decade  whose  circumstances  of  iin- 
perishing  renown  we  here,  to-day,  commemorate.  Bid  them, 
of  all  the  years,  stay  zvith  us  and  present  to  us  for  approba- 
tion and  for  reverence  those  very  circumstances  imperish- 
able, knit  into  the  fabric  of  our  being,  that  are  our  pride  and 
our  glory." 

A  bugle  call  is  sounded.  Other  bugles  respond,  and 
1919  leads  on  the  hundred  years.  As  they  pass  the  last  ten 
detach  themselves  from  the  line  and  move  to  their  places, 
five  on  each  side  of  Savannah,  where  they  remain  until  the 
years  are  again  rolled  forward  at  the  end  of  t!ic  pageant. 


EPISODE  I 

THE  FOUNDING  OF   BETHESDA 

Herald. — "IFe  shall  now  see,  Savannah,  how  dedica- 
tion to  the  service  of  God  and  of  humanity  brought  to  the 
forlorn  and  needy  of  thy  children  the  care  and  love  of  those 
whose  hearts  beat  strongly  for  the  desolate  and  the 
oppressed.  A  home  for  boys,  early  established  and  faith- 
fully maintained,  is  here  depicted! 


)> 


As  before,  bugles  announce  the  approach  of  the  Bethesda 
group.  In  this  same  manner  all  the  following  episodes  are 
heralded. 

The  Bethesda  Pageant  represents  an  imaginary  visit  of 
Lady  Huntingdon,  the  Patroness  of  this  Orphanage.  She 
is  accompanied  by  George  Whitefield  and  John  Wesley;  the 
former  her  adviser  and  friend  in  this  work,  and  the  latter  a 
co-worker  with  Whitefield.  In  her  train  are  James  Haber- 
sham, the  first  instructor  at  Bethesda,  and  seven  boys,  his 
first  pupils;  General  James  Oglethorpe  and  his  great  friend, 
the  Indian  Chief  Tomochichi,  with  six  of  his  Indian  follov/- 
ers;  also  eight  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  Court  of  George 
II.  These  characters  are  announced  with  due  solemnity  by 
a  Beadle.  The  pupils  present  Lady  Huntingdon  with  flowers 
grown  upon  this  estate,  her  gracious  gift  to  the  colony — and 
then  sing  for  her  entertainment  two  verses  of  "Love  Divine, 
All  Love  Excelling,"  written  by  Charles  Wesley. 

The  Beadle Mr.  Julian  Schley 

Lady  Huntingdon Mrs.  A.  L.  Alexander 

George  Whitefield Mr.  Richard  Adams 

James  Habersham Mr.  Alexander  R.  Lawton,  Jr. 

145 


146        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

General  James  Oglethorpe Mr.  Frederick  Pennlman 

ToMiCHiCHi Mr.  James  C.  Branan 

John  Wesley W.  W.  Douglas 

Group  of  Bethesda  Boys 

LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN  OF  THE  COURT  OF  GEORGE  II 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alexander  R.  MacDonell  Miss  Eliza  Schley 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  I.  A.  Sims  Mr.  Alan  MacDonell 

Miss  Sarah  Bacon  Mr.  A.  R.  Lawton 

Mrs.  Ford  Fuller 

First  Pupils 
Wm.  T.  Boseman  Oscar  Sims 

Harry  Beaseley  Franklin  Sims 

Lancy  Fripp  William  Opper 

Walter  Beck 


EPISODE  II 

FOUNDING  OF  SAVANNAH  FEMALE  ORPHANAGE 

Herald. — "Not  boys  only,  but  girls  also  were  found 
among  t'hy  needy  ones.  Nor  were  there  lacking  noble  women 
who,  putting  aside  personal  gain  andpleasures,  built  up  within 
thy  borders  a  home  wherein  such  girls  might  grow  in 
knowledge  and  in  grace  as  well  as  stature.  The  founding 
of  the  Female  Orphanage  we  noiv  commemorate." 

This  episode  represents  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  the 
Savannah  Female  Orphan  Asylum,  depicting  the  manage- 
ment and  life  in  that  institution  in  1819. 

President  of  the  Board,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Smith. 

Represented  by  Mrs.  John  Heard  Hunter 

Secretary,  Mrs.  Margaret  Hunter. 

Represented  by  Mrs.  J.  A.  G.  Carson 

Treasurer,  Mrs.  Sarah  Lamb Represented  by  Mrs.  Max  WolfF 

Mrs.  Holcombe Represented  by  Mrs.  John  S.  Howkins 

Mrs.  Ann  Clay Represented  by  Mrs.  F.  C.  Battey 

Mrs.  Jane  Smith Represented  by  Mrs.  R.  M.  Aldrich 

Lady  Ann  Houston 

Represented  by  her  great-great-granddaughter,  Mrs.  J.  F.  C.  Myers 

Mrs.  Hannah  McAllister Represented  by  Mrs.  Gordon  Saussy 

Mrs.  Sarah  Jenkins Represented  by  Mrs.  H.  Wiley  Johnson 

Mrs.  Ann  Moore Represented  by  Mrs.  Gordon  Groover 

Mrs.  Rebecca  Newell Represented  by  Miss  Hesse 

Mrs.  Mary  Wall Represented  by  Mrs.  Alex  Thesmar 

Matron  of  the  Asylum,  Mrs.  Lydia  Myers. 

Represented  by  Mrs.  George  Cope 
Children  of  the  Asylum  of  1819. 

Represented  by  Children  of  the  Savannah  Female  Orphan  Asylum 

147 


EPISODE  III 

BALL  IN  HONOR  OF  PRESIDENT  MONROE,  MAY,   1819 

Herald. — *'The  nation's  Chief  Executive,  President 
Monroe,  honors  thee,  SavannaJi,  in  coming  to  witness  the 
sailing  of  thy  namesake-ship,  the  first  such  ship  in  all  the 
history  of  the  world  to  brave  the  dangers  of  the  sea.  The 
high  and  noble  of  thy  sons  and  daughters  receive  their  Presi- 
dent and  make  merry  for  his  pleasure  " 

James  Monroe,  the  fifth  President  of  the  United  States, 
and  the  second  to  visit  Savannah,  was  received  in  the  city  on 
Saturday,  the  eighth  of  May,  18 19,  with  every  demonstra- 
tion of  delight  to  honor  the  Chief  Executive. 

Most  prominent  of  the  entertainments  given  in  the  Presi- 
dent's honor  was  a  ball,  in  a  building  prepared  for  the 
occasion  in  Johnson  Square.  This  act  depicts  that  historic 
ball,  and  shows  the  guests  being  presented  to  the  President, 
by  the  Honorable  William  Scarborough,  a  merchant  prince 
of  Savannah,  to  whom  the  city  owed  much  of  its  advance- 
ment, and  at  whose  home  the  President  stayed  while  in 
Savannah.  A  feature  of  the  ball  will  be  a  song,  sung  by 
"Mrs.  Kollock"  (Mrs.  Gordon  Harrison). 

Many  notable  people  from  Savannah  and  the  surround- 
ing counties  attended  the  ball.  Among  them  were  the  fol- 
lowing : 

President  Monroe Represented  by  Dr.  Francis  Turner 

The  Hon.  William  ScARnoRoucH. 

Represented  by  his  great-great-nephew,  John  Stark 

'1  iiK  Hon.  James  M.  Wayne,  Mayor  of  tlic  City. 

Represented  by  his  descendant,  Wayne  Cunningham 
148 


HISTORICAL   FESTIVAL  AND   PAGEANT     149 

Gen.  Francis  Huger 

Represented  by  his  great-grandson,  Lieut.  Percy  Huger 

Francis  Harris  Macleod 

Represented  by  his  grandson,  Harris  Macleod  King 

Gen.  Floyd Represented  by  his  descendant,  Marmaduke  Floyd 

Gen.  Gaines Represented  by  Frederick  Walter 

Hon.  William  Bulloch  (Vice-President  of  the  day"). 

Represented  by  I.  A.  Sims 

Mrs.  William  Bulloch Represented  by  Mrs.  I.  A.  Sims 

The  Hon.  W.  R.  Waring  (alderman). 

Represented  by  his  descendant,  Dr.  T.  Pinchney  Waring 

Martha  Brailsford. 

Represented  by  her   great-great-granddaughter,  Mrs.  T.  P.  Waring 

Margaret  Moore  Lawson. 

Represented  by  her  granddaughter,  Mrs.  James  S.  Wood 

Mrs.  Richard  D.  Arnold. 

Represented  by  her  granddaughter,  Miss  Margaret  Cosens 

Alexander  Telfair Represented  by  Joseph  Inglesby,  Jr. 

Mrs.  Alexander  Telfair.  . .  .Represented  by  Mrs.  Joseph  Inglesby,  Jr. 

Miss  Mary  Telfair Represented  by  Mrs.  Feay  Shellman 

Thomas  Heyward.  .  .Represented  by  his  descendant,  Heyward  Howkins 

Mrs.  Thomas  Heyward Represented  by  Mrs.  Heyward  Howkins 

Lady  Ann  Houstoun. 

Represented  by  her  great-great-granddaughter.  Miss  Eugenia  Johnston 

Col.  James  Johnston. 

Represented  by  his  great-grandson,  James  Houston  Johnston  of 
Atlanta,  Ga. 

Mrs.  James  Johnston. 

Represented  by  her  great-granddaughter,  Miss  Edith  Johnston 

The  Hon.  Soloman  Cohen. 

Represented  by  his  great-grandson,  William  Henry  Battey 

Dr.  Louis  Turner.  .  .  .Represented  by  his  grandson.  Dr.  Newell  Turner 

George  Barnard.  . .  .Represented  by  his  descendant,  Tattnall  Pritchard 


I50        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

Mrs.  George  Barnard Represented  by  Mrs.  Tattnall  Pritchard 

Mrs.  Maria  Campbell  Kollock  (wife  of  Dr.  Lemuel  KoUock). 

Represented  by  her  great-granddaughter,  Mrs.  Gordon  Harrison 

W.  W.  Gordon..  .Represented  by  his  great-grandson,  W.  W.  Gordon,  Jr. 

Georgia  Bryan. 

Represented  by  her  great-granddaughter,  Miss  Daisy  Gordon 

Andrew  J.  Miller  of  Augusta,  Ga. 

Represented  by  his  great-grandson,  Frank  LeHardy 

Mrs.  Jared  Irwin  (Isabella  Erwin). 

Represented  by  her  great-great-great-niece.  Miss  Ruth  Huston,  of 
Coatesville,  Penn. 

Jane  Iravin,  daughter  of  Gov.  Jared  Irwin. 

Represented  by  his  great-great-niece,  Mrs.  Charles  Albert  Chapman 

Joseph  Habersham. 

Represented  by  his  great-great-grandson,  Welborn  Colquitt 

Mrs.  Joseph  Habersham. 

Represented  by  her  great-great-great-niece.  Miss  Josephine  Clark 

Isaac  Minis Represented  by  his  grandson,  Abram  Minis 

Mrs.  Francis  Hendricks  of  New  Jersey  (The  Hendricks  Copper  Mills 
furnished  the  copper  used  in  the  Steamship  Savannah). 

Represented  by  her  great-granddaughter,  Mrs.  Abram  Minis 

Captain   Moses    Rogers,   who   commanded    the    Steamship   "City   of 
Savannah." 

Represented  by  his  descendant,  Mr.  Ernest  Rogers  of  New  London, 
Conn. 

Mrs.  Moses  Rogers Represented  by  Mrs.  Ernest  Rogers 

Children  of  the  day — represented  by; 

The  Children  of  the  Kate  Baldwin  Free  Kindergartens. 

The  Children  of  the  Savannah  Kindergarten. 

The  Children  of  the  Kindergarten  of  the  Council  of  Jewish  Women. 

The  Children  of  the  Bishop  Beckwith  Kindergarten. 


EPISODE  IV 

OPENING  OF  SAVANNAH  THEATER 

Herald. — "A  home  for  mimic  art,  established  early, 
gave  pleasant  entertainment  for  thy  leisure.  These  now, 
who  come,  do  so  in  the  persons  of  those  whose  art  depicted 
life  when  the  theater  was  first  opened  and  inscribed  with  thy 
name." 

"The  Soldier's  Daughter,"  a  patriotic  play,  was  written 
by  Andrew  Cherry,  an  actor  of  some  repute  of  the  London 
stage.  The  play  was  first  produced  in  London,  when 
England  was  ablaze  with  patriotism,  due  to  the  apprehen- 
sion of  a  Napoleonic  invasion.  The  play  was  given  in 
Savannah  at  the  opening  of  the  Savannah  Theater,  Decem- 
ber 4,  1818. 

CAST  OF  CHARACTERS 

Gov.  Heartall Harold  Belford 

Frank  Heartall Robert  Knox 

Malfort,  Sr Allen  Woodruff 

Malfort,  Jr Jack  Crowther 

Captain  Woodley Hugh  Saussy 

Ferret Andrew  Caraker 

Tim  Quaint Ambrose  Solomon 

Simon Emanuel    Lewis 

The  Widow  Cheerly Nan  O'Connor 

Mrs.  Malfort Louise  Strickland 

Susan Reba  DuBois 

Mrs.  Townley Irvina  Morris 

151 


EPISODE  V 

OPENING   RECEPTION,  CHATHAM  ACADEMY,   1813 

Herald. — "That  there  might  he  no  lack  of  learned  and 
godly  men  and  women  in  thy  service,  halls  of  education  and 
of  worship  were  founded.  Chatham  Academy  is  here  before 
us  shown  as  in  its  first  days  of  service,  opened  with  the  dig- 
nity and  courtliness  befitting  such  an  enterprise." 

The  Republican  and  Savannah  Evening  Ledger  of 
December  12,  1812,  contained  a  notice  signed  by  John 
Bolton,  R,  M.  Stites,  and  John  Lawson,  one  paragraph  of 
which  reads:  "The  undersigned  committee  of  the  trustees  of 
the  Chatham  Academy  are  happy  to  announce  to  their  fellow 
citizens  and  the  public  that  the  academy  will  be  opened  in 
the  elegant  and  convenient  edifice,  lately  erected  in  this  city, 
for  the  reception  of  pupils  in  the  various  branches  of  litera- 
ture proposed  to  be  taught  in  the  institution,  on  the  first 
Monday  in  January  next." 

The  Republican  and  Savannah  Evening  Ledger  made  an 
announcement  on  Friday,  January  i,  18 13,  of  this  invitation: 

"The  ladies  and  citizens  of  Savannah  in  general  are 
respectfully  invited  to  attend  at  the  academy  on  Tuesday,  the 
fifth  of  January  next,  at  twelve  o'clock,  at  which  time  the 
building  will  be  opened  for  the  reception  of  scholars,  and  an 
appropriate  address  will  be  delivered  on  the  occasion." 

William  Stephens,  president  of  the  board  of  trustees 
(Mr.  T.  M.  Cunningham,  president  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion) . 

152 


HISTORICAL  FESTIVAL  AND  PAGEANT     153 

John  Bolton,  R.  M.  Stites,  John  Lawson,  committee  of 
trustees  (Col.  G.  Arthur  Gordon,  Mr.  William  F.  McCau- 
ley,  members  of  the  present  board  of  trustees  of  Chatham 
Academy),  Mr.  John  Cabell,  Mr.  F.  T.  Saussy. 

Address  by  Rev.  Henry  Kollock,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the 
Independent  Presbyterian  Church  (Mr.  M.  C.  Kollock, 
grand-nephew  of  Rev.  Henry  Kollock).  Extracts  from 
original  address,  arranged  by  Mr.  Otis  Ashmore. 

Mr.  J.  D.  Fyler,  first  principal  of  Chatham  Academy 
(Mr.  G.  J.  Orr,  principal  of  Massie  and  Barnard  Street 
Schools).  The  trustees  announce  that  he  is  "a  gentleman 
highly  recommended,  and  well  known  as  possessing  every 
qualification  for  that  ofl'ice,  not  only  in  extensive  erudition, 
but  in  experience  as  a  skillful  instructor." 

PUPILS  OF  CHATHAM  ACADEMY  GLEE  CLUB 


Angela  Altick 
May  Bracey 
Winifred  Brooks 
Agnes  Collins 
Fannie  Clark 
Margaret  CouUing 
Catherine  Coyle 
Mary  Crosby 
Esther  Dich 
Nellie  Folger 
Romana  Gallaway 
Ruth  Harrell 
Alice  Hillis 
Louise  Hooper 
Loretto  Heagarty 
Grade  Lanneau 
Fannie  Belle  Outler 
Nan  O'Connor 
Anna  Palmer 
Edwina  Pritchard 
Etta  May  Rimes 
Cornelia  Sudderth 


Florrle  Thompson 
Margaret  Walker 
Elizabeth  Wells 
Louise  Winn 
Robert  Bissett 
Lawrence  Bissett 
Jack  Craig 
Harry  Friedman 
William  Eyler 
George  Granberry 
Mortimer  Hazlehurst 
Kenneth  Leauty 
Joe  Levington 
Fred  Long 
Walter  Maxwell 
Sam  Newton 
Roddy  Pritchard 
William  Reckling 
Frank  Slater 
Jack  White 
Allen  Woodruff 


154        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 


OTHER  PUPILS 


Eva  Alpert 
Mary  Barnes 
Bertha  Bradley 
Annie  Baxley 
Jessie  Cary 
Leola  Clark 
Catherine  Cubbedge 
Leila  Cubbedge 
Philippa  Delph 
Gladys  Dawson 
Julia  Broderick 
Joyce  Edwards 
Rita  Eisenberg 
Fanny  EstrofF 
Ida  Friedman 
Mary  Horrigan 
Lottie  Jackson 
Hannah  Foss 
Dorothy  Porter 
Marian  Pinkussohn 
Margaret  Lane 
Helen  McCarthy 
Belle  Morecock 
Camille  Leacy 
Myra  Palmer 
Anna  Pritchard 
Justine  Savarese 
Sara  Schwab 


Helen  Sinclair 
Nadine  Solteric 
Catherine  Stafford 
Mamie  Smith 
Anna  Starrs 
Gertrude  Schwalb 
Katherine  Smith 
Helen  Smith 
Alice  Tunno 
Leila  Waite 
Katherine  White 
Leola  White 
Louise  Whitehurst 
Pauline  Wills 
John  Bridger 
Samuel  Cohen 
Osgood  Bridger 
James  Dotson 
Cooper  Morcock 
William  Turner 
Herbert  Matthews 
William  Sheehan 
Edwin  Hodgkins 
William  Stubbs 
Walker  Saussy 
Herbert  Hutton 
William  Taliaferro 
Charles  Wiehrs 


SPECTATORS  AND  PATRONS 


Miss  Katherine  Davis 

Miss  Mary  DeBardeleben 

Miss  Anne  D.  Jones 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  A.  F.  Williams 

Mr.  H.  L.  Weatherby 


Miss  Eloise  Varnedoe 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ira  Gaines 
Mrs.  Z.  D.  Wheat 
Mrs.  M.  G.  Blnnton 
Mrs.  A.  T.  Lemon 


EPISODE  VI 


MR.  GOODWIN'S   DANCING  SCHOOL 


Herald. — "T\hy  people,  0  Savannah,  loving  life  in  all 
its  aspects,  made  prompt  provision  for  gay  hours  of  pleasure. 
A  dancing  master  now  presents  before  us  the  stately  minuet, 
with  other  graceful  measures  of  the  time. 


}} 


Mr.  Goodwin,  "who  for  ten  years  had  the  honor  of 
being  patronized  by  all  the  principal  families  in  Savannah, 
gives  proof  of  his  remaining  abilities  in  the  steps  of  grace, 
as  illustrated  by  his  pupils  in  the  minuet  and  a  dance  called 
'Independence,  or  The  Stars.'  "" 


)  n 


Mr.  Goodwin Mr.  Alan  MacDonell 


PUPILS 


Alicia  Young 

Lois  Luther 

Elizabeth  Thesmar 

Helen  Wright 

Edward  Lovell 

Beach  Edwards 

Aubrey  Abbott 

Herman  Kulman 

Edith  Hunter 

Annie  Mcintosh 

Ann  Lawrence 

Jean  Beckett 

Mary  Waring 

Nina  Hammond 

Fannie  Blun 

Daniel  Baldwin  Alexander 


Caroline  Johnson 
Mary  Alstaetter 
Mary  Fantl 
Jack  Stoddard 
Remer  Lane 
Storm  Trosdal 
Kurt  Nanninga 
Winthrop  Dwelle 
Pope  Barrow 
Callie  Wilkinson 
James  W.  Mclntire 
Mary  Lcfflcr 
Margaret  Kayton 
Virginia  Norton 
Margaret  Elton 
Olin  Mcintosh,  Jr. 


155 


EPISODE  VII 

RECEPTION  OF  GENERAL  LAFAYETTE 

Herald. — "Lafayette,  first  European  friend  of  young 
America!  Received  with  our  most  cordial  welcome  at  the 
renewal  of  his,  and  our,  allegiance.  Here  is  shown  the  pride 
and  pomp  of  his  reception  when,  in  revisiting  the  nation 
whose  integrity  he  helped  to  save,  he  honored  us  with  his 
presence." 

General  Lafayette,  returning  to  America  nearly  fifty 
years  after  his  first  arrival  in  this  country,  "to  plunge  with 
youthful  ardor  into  the  American  struggle  for  independ- 
ence," visited  Savannah  on  March  19,  1825.  He  attended 
the  laying  of  the  cornerstones  of  the  Greene  and  Pulaski 
monuments. 

This  episode  is  a  review  of  the  festivities  arranged  in 
honor  of  General  Lafayette  during  his  visit.  The  words  of 
the  song  were  written  for  the  occasion  by  George  Robertson, 
Jr.,  and  sung  at  the  dinner.  In  the  pageant  General  Lafay- 
ette is  received  by  notable  people  of  Savannah  at  that  time, 
and  a  flag  made  in  his  honor  is  presented  to  him.  The 
original  of  this  flag  was  borne  on  a  flagstaff  at  the  bow  of 
the  Altamaha  as  that  vessel  carried  General  Lafayette  from 
Savannah  to  Augusta. 

Among  the  notables  who  took  part  in  the  ceremonies  were: 

Lafayette Represented  by  Mr.  Raiford  Falligant 

Gen.  Murat Represented  by  Mr.  Tattnall  Pritchard 

Gen.  Francis  Huger Represented  by  Lieut.  Percy  Huger 

Gen.  Tattnall Represented  by  Mr.  Richard  Adams 

Commodore  John  Herbert  Dent,  U.  S.  N. 

Represented  by  his  great-grandson,  Gratz  Dent 
156 


HISTORICAL   FESTIVAL  AND   PAGEANT     157 

President  of  St.  Andrews  Society. 

Represented     by    Mr.    Olin     Mcintosh,    great-great-grandnephevv    of 
Gen.  Lachlan  Mcintosh,  founder  of  St.  Andrew's  Society  in  1790. 

Gen.  John  Floyd Represented  by  Mr.  Marmaduke  Floyd 

Gen.  Charles  Floyd Represented  by  Mr.  Hazlehurst  Noyes 

(As  a  West  Point  Lieutenant  in  command  of  a  company  of  Marines 
sent  to  receive  Lafayette  when  he  arrived  in  New  York.) 

Gen.  Stewart.  .Represented  by  his  great-great-grandson,  John  Stevens 

Alderman  John  Shellman. 

Represented  by  his  great-great-grandson,  W.  F.  Shellman 

Isaac  Minis Represented  by  Mr.  Abram  Minis 

August  Oemler Represented  by  Mr.  Heyward  Oemler 

(He  designed  the  miniatures  placed  in  the  corner  stones  of  the  Green 
and  Pulaski  monuments.) 

Dr.  George  Mosse. 

Represented  by  his  great-grandson,  Dr.  Walter  Norton 

Col.  Nowlan.  .Represented  by  his  descendant,  Mr.  Eugene  MacDonell 
(Col.  of  the  35th  Ga.  Reg.  of  Savannah  in  1812.) 

Lieut.  Schley. 

Represented  by  his  great-great-grandson,  Lieut.  Larcombe  Schley 

Mrs.  Martha  Brailsford. 

Represented  by  her  great-great-granddaughter,  Mrs.  T.  P.  Waring 

Mrs.  John  Peter  Martin. 

Represented  by  her  descendant,  Mrs.  Walter  S.  Wilson 
(Captain  John  Peter  Martin  was  with  Pinckney  in  the  disastrous 
assault  on  Savannah  in  October,  1779.) 

Mrs.  Sheftall. 

Represented  by  her  great-great-granddaughter,  Mrs.  Elliott  Reed 

Mrs.  Thomas  Pilkington  Purse. 

Represented  by  her  great-great-granddaughter.  Miss  Wilhelmina  Purse 

Mrs.  John  Floyd. 

Represented   by  her  great-great-granddaughter,  Miss    Ruth  Foster 

Mrs.  Mary  Floyd  Hamilton. 

Represented  by  her  descendant,  Miss  Nell  Noyes 

Madame  de  Sableaux  (wife  of  Louis  Philippe  de  Sableaux,  who  came  to 
this  country  with  Lafayette). 

Represented  by  her  great-great-granddaughter.  Miss  Janey  Davant 


iS8        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 


Miss  Lavinia  Christian  (who  was  crowned  queen  of  the  carnival  by 
Lafayette  at  West  Point,  Va.) 

Represented  by  her  great-great-granddaughter,  Mrs.  J.  R.  Marshall 

Isabella  Steele. 

Represented  by  her  great-great-granddaughter,  Mrs.  Hoyt  W.  Gale 
of  Cleveland,  O. 

The  youth  of   the  city  gathered  with   their   elders   in 
Johnson  square  to  welcome  Lafayette. 


Mary  Teasdale 
Julia  Frances  Floyd 
Ruth  Foster  McCaskill 
Hal  Noyes 
Olaf  Otto,  Jr. 
Margaret  Ellen  Lester 
Elizabeth  Inglesby 
Gussie  Clay 
Hilda  Allen 
Lizzie  Gray  Davis 
Martha  Gaillard 
Benjamin  Palmer  Axson 
Nell  Furlow  Axson 
John  A.  Foster,  Jr. 
Camille  Nicolas 
Elizabeth  Chapeau 
Philip  Minis 
Eugene  Edwards 
Sallie  Thesmar 
Sophie  Thesmar 
Andrew  Edwards 
Lucile  Gorin 
Helen  Walthour 
Jean  Labouchere 
Virginia  Walthour 
Dudley  Sweat 
Helen  Sweat 
Dorothy  Bonney 
Gladys  Henderson 
Marmaduke  Floyd,  Jr. 
Eugenia  Granger 
Virginia  Powell 


Elinor  Brown 

Woody  DuBose 

Fannie  Patrick 

Elizabeth  Stephens 

Elizabeth  Foster 

Jane  Tharin 

Floyd  Foster 

Marjorie  Thomas 

Charlotte  Lanneau 

Rosalie  Foster 

Mary  Pritchard 

Elizabeth  Foster  Beggs 

Georgie  Foster 

Alice  Backus 

Alice  Waring 

Helen  Hejnvard 

Majorie  Vandivere 

Frances  Floyd 

Ida  Floyd 

Lee  Russell 

Eulalie  McLeod 

Ina  McLeod 

Cora  Howard  Thomson 

Charlotte  McDowell 

Jeanette  Martin 

Mary  Waring 

Agnes  Morris 

Catherine  Tew 

Mrs.  J.  Lawton  Wightman 

Mrs.  Edward  Frost 

Mrs.  Crafts 


Mammies  of  Long  Ago 

Impersonated  by  Mrs.  E.  Thomas,  Mrs.  J.  B.  Cherry 


PROCESSION  OF  THE  YEARS 

1819-1919 

Herald. — "Such  noble  gifts,  Savannah,  conferred  upon 
thee  by  these  years  of  early  endeavor,  are  not  to  be  equaled 
— not  by  any  decade  passing  since.  What  yet  may  be  is  not 
for  mortal  knowing.  Yet  each  decade,  in  passing,  has  left 
with  thee  worthy  deeds  of  great  consequence.  These  now, 
in  swift  procession  moving,  come  to  remind  us  of  their  gifts 
to  thee." 

The  ten  years  of  the  first  decade  of  the  century  come 
down  from  the  dais  and,  recalling  the  next  decade,  pass  off 
the  stage.  Each  decade  passes  thus  in  turn,  presenting  to 
Savannah  the  memorial  of  their  contribution  to  the  life  of 
the  city.  The  last  decade  consists  of  nine  figures  in  red, 
representing  strife  and  war,  and  one  figure  in  white,  repre- 
senting the  peace  to  come.  All  depart  except  19 19,  who 
presents  a  scroll  to  Savannah. 

1819-29 

During  this  Decade  the  Episodes  of  the  Pageant  Took  Place 

Mrs.  Isaac  Minis,  Mrs.  H.  B.  Skeele,  Mrs.  Francis 
Muir,  Mrs.  Pritchard,  Mrs.  J.  A.  Moore,  Mrs.  J.  J. 
Powers,  Mrs.  lola  Bishop,  Mrs.  A.  V.  Chaplin,  Miss  Nora 
Edmonston,  and  Mrs.  E.  W.  Cubbedge,  Jr. 

1829-39 

First  Railroad  Started  in  this  Period 

In  April,  1836,  a  company  was  formed  and  preparations 
were  made  for  the  beginning  of  the  Central  of  Georgia  R.  R. 

159 


i6o        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 

Mrs.  G.  H.  Bass,  the  Misses  Alberta  Grayson,  Hazel 
Robinson,  Era  Cook,  Josephine  Glaimas,  Hilda  Allen,  Mrs. 
Bula  Bentschner,  Marie  Solomon,  Ethel  Allen,  Elizabeth 
Perkins. 

1849-59 
Beginning  of  Public  School  System 

In  April,  1 841,  the  will  of  Peter  Massie  gave  to  the  city 
a  sum  of  money  to  be  used  for  the  education  of  the  poor 
children  of  the  city. 

Mrs.  Wayne  Cunningham,  Mrs.  Fred  Saussy,  Mrs. 
Julian  Chisholm,  Mrs.  Franz  Behnes,  Mrs.  David  Schwartz, 
Mrs.  Jabez  Jones,  Mrs.  J.  D.  Maxwell,  Mrs.  L.  B.  Taylor, 
Mrs.  Edward  Demere,  Miss  Martha  Sasnett. 

1949-59 
First  Park  Founded 

In  1 85  I,  through  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Wm.  Hodgson, 
the  first  park  was  laid  out  as  a  place  of  recreation  for  the 
people.  It  was  given  the  name  of  Mr.  John  Forsyth,  of 
Georgia,  then  Minister  to  Spain. 

Misses  Alice  Battey,  Edith  Battey,  Mrs.  George  Hunter, 
Mrs.  Harvey  Gilbert,  Mrs.  Ambrose  Gordon,  Mrs.  Edwin 
Cubbedge,  Mrs.  L.  H.  Dimmitt,  Mrs.  Byron  Glover,  Mrs. 
S.  R.  Dighton,  Mrs.  Valmore  Lebey. 

1859-69 

Civil  War  Period 

During  much  of  this  time  the  entire  city  was  enlisted  in 
the  cause  of  the  Confederacy. 

Mrs.  Wm.  B.  McNeil,  the  Misses  Ellen  Morgan,  Lila 
Cabaniss,  Bessie  Garden,  Hazelle  Beard,  Walton  Parker, 
Mrs.  I.  W.  McDowell,  Mrs.  John  Dyer,  Miss  Julia  Bourne, 
Miss  Henrietta  Cohen. 


HISTORICAL   FESTIVAL  AND   PAGEANT    i6i 

1869-79 

First  Art  Gallery  Started 

In  June,  1875,  Miss  Mary  Telfair  died,  leaving  to  the 
city  her  residence  as  an  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences  and  a 
fund  for  Its  maintenance. 

Mrs.  A.  R.  Lawton,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Thos.  Hilton,  Mrs.  T.  C. 
Myers,  Mrs.  H.  P.  Smart,  Mrs.  J.  K.  Train,  Mrs.  S.  F. 
Marshall,  Mrs.  Craig  Cranston,  Mrs.  R.  L.  Denmark, 
Misses  Mildred  Cunningham,  Fanny  Philips. 

1879-89 

Naval  Stores  Started 

During  this  decade  this  Industry  grew  from  almost 
nothing  to  such  proportions  that  Savannah  became  the 
leading  market  for  naval  stores  in  the  world. 

Mrs.  Harry  Bruen,  Miss  Mary  Davis,  Mrs.  Carl  Espy, 
Mrs.  James  Furse,  Mrs.  Olin  Mcintosh,  Mrs.  Walter  Nor- 
ton, Mrs.  Gordon  FIndlay,  Misses  Agnes  Jones,  Ruth 
Rankin,  Annie  Lynah. 

1889-99 

Spanish-American  War  Period 

It  was  during  this  decade  that  the  Spanish-American 
War  occurred,  and  Savannah  had  a  large  number  of  troops 
encamped  here. 

Misses  Elizabeth  Jenkins,  Ellen  Postell,  Louise  Butter- 
field,  Mary  Harper,  Julia  Gordon,  Florence  Crane,  Helena 
Cunningham,  Isabelle  Harrison,  Suzanne  Bell,  Cabell  Mar- 
shall. 


i62        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF  PAGEANTRY 

1899-1909 
Growth  of  Industry 

During  this  period  the  city  made  great  strides  in  its 
industrial  and  financial  growth. 

Misses  Katherine  Willink,  Ruth  Kayton,  Virginia  Heard, 
Mary  Lattimore,  Isabelle  Dwelle,  Sarah  Neville,  Frances 
Jones,  Emily  Cope,  Eleanor  Alexander,  Lucy  Armstrong. 

1909-19 

World  War 

The  most  important  event  of  this  decade  was  the  Great 
War — brought  to  a  close  by  the  present  year. 

Misses  Lilla  Train,  Caroline  Jones,  Harriet  Aldrich, 
Mary  Wilder,  Joan  Rauers,  Catherine  Rauers,  Frieda 
Cunningham,  Leona  Simkins,  Margaret  Simkins. 

1919 

Miss  Elizabeth  Pettus. 

At  a  fanfare  of  trumpets  the  buglers  and  heralds  return 
and  escort  Savannah,  who  reads  from  the  scroll  presented  by 
19 1 9,  as  she  moves  forward  from  the  dais.  She  is  preceded 
by  1919,  and  speaks  for  the  young  year: 

"Young  and  mute,  uncertain  yet  of  what  the  future  has  in 
store,  this  present  year,  in  all  sincerity  and  all  humility, 
comes  as  the  symbol  of  a  new  era  of  peace  from  out  the 
red  years  of  war's  desolation.  This  present  year,  with 
unlimited  possibilities  for  worthy  deeds,  gives  to  us  the 
opportunity  to  rival  those  noble  deeds  here  to-day  recalled 
and  revivified.  Shall  we  not,  with  such  evidence  of  human 
achievement  and  hu?nan  devotion  behind  us,  pledge  to  this 
year  and  to  all  the  future  the  most  generous  service,  to 
Savannah,  to  America,  to  the  World!" 

The  bugles  sound  a  last  call  as  the  pageant  ends. 


One  Form' of  Program 


Patriotic  Pageant 

The  Progress  of  Liberty 

CAPITOL  PLAZA 

JEFfERSON  CITY.  MISSOURI 

Wednesday,  June  ig,  8:i$  p.m. 
Thursday,  June  20,  8:ij  p.m. 

Given  under  the  auspices  of  the 

Wonmn's  Commitlee,  Missouri  Division,  Council  of  National  Defense, 

and  Cole  County  Unit  of  the  Committee. 

Mrs.  Houck  McHenry,  Chairman 

Pageant  Chairman Mrs.  Chester  A.  Piatt 

Dances Miss  Rayma  Irwin 

Books  and  Tickets Mr.  Charles  Winston 

Grounds  and  Seating Mr.  William  Painter 

Lighting Mr.  Ray  Palmblade 

Mr.  Graham 

Director Linwood  Taft 

COSTUMER Mrs.  F.  W.  Flower 


Piano Estelle  Dircks 

Mrs.  John  Jobe 

ist  Violins Dorothy  Miller 

Louis  Burkel 

and  Violins Rosalind  Heisler 

Jane  Enloe 

Viola H.  C.  Sattler 


ORCHESTRA 


Clarinet Dr.  E.  T.  Tanner 

Cornet Oscar  Muck 

Trombone Theo.  Haar 

Saxophone Claude  Bartlett 

Drums Theo.  Haar,  Jr. 


EPISODE  I 

The  Rule  of  Tyranny  and  Force 

Director,  Mrs.  Chester  Piatt 

Reapers Mrs.  Gertrude  Nelson  Poet Mr.  Donald  Mosby 

Miss  Margaret  Heisler 

Miss  Rose  Brown  Seer Rev.  George  L.  Barnes 

Miss  Katherine  Hope 

Miss  Margaret  Zeitz  Princess Miss  Marj.  Schmiehausen 

Miss  Mildred  Hammond 

Miss  Margaret  Bramlet  Watchmen Mr.  James  Walsh,  Jr. 

Miss  Margaret  Tucker  Mr.  W  illiam  Busby 

Mr.  Walter  Hampton 

Mr.  Henry  Asel  Liberty Mrs.  S.  B.  Cook 

Mr.  Ralph  Hammond 

Mr.  Robert  Nelson  Angels  or  Peace  .  .  .  .Miss  Adalyn  Paris 

Mr.  Guy  Sone  Miss  Mildred  Berry 

Mr.  Buster  Miss  Marie  Ellis 

Alberta  Coleman 

Louise  Kerr  Trumpeters Mr.  George  Player,  Jr. 

Mr.  Andrew  Sew^ard 

Standard  Bearer Mr.  Theodore  Schott 

Soldiers Mr.  Earl  Ruthven 

Klng Mr.  T.  J.  Walker  Mr.  Joe  Wheeler 

Mr.  Carl  Bos'-h 
Priests Mr.  Will  Hoefer  Mr.  M.  D.  Harbaugh 

Mr.  Chas.  Tweedie  Mr.  Lincoln  Mintick 

Mr.  Harry  Hodgman 

163 


EPISODE  n 


The  Struggle  of  the  Greeks  Against  the  Persians 


Director,  Miss  Daisy  Seaber 
Hellas Miss  Mary  Louise  Bowles  Greek  Women  . 

Peeslan  Ambassadoes.Mf.  J.  L.  Wagner 
Mr.  John  Harris 

Aechons Mr.  Davis 

Mr.  Leo  Holtschneider 


Grekk  SOLDrESS. 


.Joe  Walsh 
Henry  Bedsworth 
William  \\'iley 
Winfred  Peasner 
Joseph  Bedsworth 
Richard  Ope  1 
Paul  Bosch 
Calvin  Speedy 
Harry  Edwards 
Nelson  Brandhorst 


Spartan  Maidens  . 


Marathon  Rttnner.  . .  Herndon  Painter 


.  Mrs.  Joseph  Kolkmeyer 
Mrs.  Davis 
Miss  Nadine  Baker 
Miss  Pearl  Peasner 
Miss  Irene  Strong 
Miss  Lydia  Ann  Fischer 
Miss  Clara  Beck 
Miss  Helen  Ruthven 
Miss  Grace  Steppleman 
Miss  Ivy  Seaber 
Mrs.  David  Enloe 
Mrs.  Davis 


.Miss  Helen  Clark 
Miss  Anna  Cullen 
Miss  Mary  Virginia  Mosby 
Miss  Beatrice  Beasmore 
Miss  Gladys  Henry 
Miss  Searle  Faris 


EPISODE  m 


The  Gifts  of  the  Romans  to  Keep  Rome  Free 


Quaestors Mr.  Thomas  Fischer 

Dr.  Ralph  Graham 

LiCTORS Mr.  Tom  Cole 

Mr.  Paul  Schmidt 
Mr.  Elsey  Edwards 
Mr.  Bruns 


Director,  Mrs.  Frank  P.  Sexton 
Peasants 


Roman  Matrons. 


Senators. 


Slaves 

Roman  Girls  . 


.  Dr.  George  Haigh 
Judge  Fred  Williams 
Rev.  McDonald 
Mr.  Ed  Austin 
.Miss  Gladys  Freeman 
Miss  Helen  Barth 
Miss  Olive  Pash 
.Miss  Elizabeth  Overall 
Miss  Eugenia  Roach 


.Mr.  James  Blair 
Mr.Meredith  Williams 
Mr.  Sam  Bob  Graves 

.Mrs.  E.J.  Bean 
Mrs.  J.  C.  Russell 
Mrs.  D.  M.  Oberman 
Mrs.  Wm.  Busby 
Mrs.  Renn  Dallmeyer 
Miss  Alice  Bairctt 


RUtron Mrs.  J.  C.  Johnson 


Sons. 


Herald  . 


.Julius  Meyerhardt 
Frank  Russell 
.B.  M.  Seward 


EPISODE  IV 


A  Legend  of  Swiss  Hatred  of  Tyranny 


Director,  Mrs.  John  Harris 


Tyrant 

Man-at-Arms. 
Soldiers 


Bridegroom  . . . 
Mountaineers. 


Peasants. 


Swiss  Women. 


Bbide.  . . . 
Guild  REN. 


. . Mr. Irl T.Oliver 
.  .Dr.  Albert  Hammen 
.  .Mr.  Rogers  Smith 

Mr.  Joe  Norman 
.  .Mr.  Modcer 
. .  Henrj-  LePage 

Mr.  Al  Weingartner 

Mr.  William  Holmes 
..Russell  Kirkpatrick 

Mr.  B.  Ray  Franklin 

Mr.  Freeman 

Mr.  Jaqua 

Mr.  Fred  Jens 

Mr.  Robert  Nolan 
,  .Mrs.  J.  R.  Nohin 

Mrs.  Mabel  Ilulton 

Mrs.  Gus  Schcli 

Mrs.  C.  C.  Wildman 

Miss  Stella  Hcldman 

Miss  Louise  Rose 
,  .Miss  Gladys  Cook 
.Mary  Elizabeth McClung 

Billic  Sue  Irwin 

Sallic  Elizabeth  Castleman 

Mary  Elizabeth  Nolan 

Cortez  Enloc,  Jr. 


Brtoesmaids. 


Mountain  Spirits 


.  .   Miss  Selma  Brewer 

Miss  Pauline  Richardson 

Miss  Vivian  Moore 

Miss  Feme  Pare 

Miss  Helen  Derkum 

Miss  Fdilh  Hincs 

Miss  Margaret  Scherer 

Mrs.  Jaqua 
.  .Marcella  Buscb 

Marj'  Carson 

Jewel  Ott 

Henrietta  Ilagcrman 

PauUnc  Linxwciler 

Dorothy  I'avis 

Nellie  Chaiiman 

Bcrnicc  Scnevcy 

Josephine  Murray 

Lucy  Eichcrt 

Ruth  liirclicnbach 

Margaret  Harris 

Mary  Armstrong 

Beatrice  Temmcn 

Venita  Tanner 

Ella  Mac  Hott 


164 


EPISODE  V 


Joan  of  Arc 

Director,  Mrs.  James  Walsh 


Joan  of  Arc Mrs.  S.  E.  Skelly 

St.  Cathekine Mrs.  Cortez  Enloe 

France Mrs.  Paul  Hunt 

Peasant  Maids Miss  Ruth  Laudman 

Miss  Katliarine  Sinclair 
Miss  Effic  Ottman 
Miss  Katharine  Mocrschel 
Miss  Madge  Waddill 


BuROUNDiAN  Monk. 
Sinister  Figures  . . . 


Dauphin  . .  . 
Dauphiness. 


.Mr.  Nelson 

.  Jean  Enloe 
Margaret  Blair 
Katherine  Kolkmeyer 
Marjorie  Cray 
Eleanor  Kersting 
Mary  Elizabeth  Baker 

.Mr.  Philip  Ottman 


Ladies  of  the  Court  .  Mrs.  John  Weber 
Mrs.  A.  Linxweiler 
Mrs.T.  G.  Burkhardt 
Mrs.  Charles  GruVjcr 
Mrs.  L.  B.  Landman 
Mrs.  Kate  Bolton 
Mrs.  Ed  Ruwart 
Miss  Nell  Green 
Miss  Clara  Kesweter 

Courtiers Mr.  Larry  Powers 

Mr.  Edson  Burch 
Mr.  Howard  Payne 
Mr.  John  Dodge 
Mr.  S.  E.  Skelley 

Pages John  Keiley 

Wcndel  Manchester 

Paladin Mr.  Gordon  Darby 

Squire Clibourne  Schulte 


.  Miss  Frances  Mosby 


EPISODE  VI 

Signing  of  the  Magna  Charta 

Commercial  Club;  Director,  Mr.  L.  B.  Landaman 

Barons  and  Earls  .  .  .  Mr.  Sam  Haley  Pages Russell  Chapman 

Mr.  Henry  Guhlcman  Harry  Elliot 

Mr.  James  O'Connor 

Mr.  H.  J.  Westhues  Archbishops Mr.  Henry  Feindt 

Mr.  H.  S.  Miller  Mr.  Ed  Favier 

Mr.  William  Ruwart 

Mr.  George  Young  Priests Ed.  J.  P.  Vilm 

Jeff  Keane 
Standard  Bearer  ....  John  Henry 

Knights Rev.  A.  Y.  Beattie 

Mr.  William  Hager 
Kino  John Mr.  W.  C.  Irwin  Mr.  R.  J.  Morissey 

Baron Mr.  O.  C.  Stegmeyor 

EPISODE  VII 

America  Honoring  Washington  and  Lafayette 

D.  A.  R.;  Director,  Mrs.  William  Painter 


George  Washington. Mr.  T.  L.  Price 

Lafayette Mr.  H.  P.  Ragland 

Soldiers Mr.  H.  B.  Hunt 

Mr.  C.  P.  LeMire 

Flower  Girls Rachel  Parker 

Louisa  Stephens 
Madeline  Harrup 
Phyllis  Clay 
Susanne  Davison 
Evelyn  Manchester 

Frontiersmen Mr.  L.  S.  Parker 

Mr.  Oliver  Bassman 
Mr.  W.  A.  Norman 
Capt.  Porter  Gilvin 

Indians Mr.  Kemp  Asel 

Mr.  Carl  Antenweith 


Colonial  Ladies 


Mrs.  W.  W.  Graves 
Mrs.  T.  0.  Towles     '■■ 
Mrs.  Caddie  Albritain 
Mis.  Hugh  Stephens 
Mrs.  Zach  Patterson 
Mrs.  Ashley  Ewing 


Colonial  Ladies        Mrs.  J.  H.  Cutten 
Miss  Juliet  Price 
Miss  Evelyn  Rainer 
Miss  Patty  Hendy 
Miss  Ethel  Owens 
Miss  Mary  Church 
Miss  Katrine  Dallmeyer 
Miss  Tess  Walton 
Miss  Mar>'  Tull 
Miss  Margaret  Moore 

Colokial  Men Rev.  Lawrence  Proctor 

Mr.  C.  B.  Bee 
Mr.  E.  R.  Barnthouso 
Mr.  Houck  McHenry 
Mr.  Ray  Miller 
Mr.  Douglas  Dodson 
Mr.  Wm.  Colbum 
Mr.  Howard  Boone 
Mr.  Gene  McCowan 
Mr.  Edward  Bannister 
Mr.  Wm.  Gardner 


165 


EPISODE  VIII 

The  Spread  of  Democracy 


Standard  Beakers. 


.  Mr.  William  Gundlefinger 
Mr.  Robert  Young 
Mr.  Tom  Dumm,  Jr. 
Mr.  Stuart  Woodson 


Director,  Mrs.  John  Harris 

Greece. Miss  Mary  Louise  Bowles 

Italy Miss  Rose  Wasserkrug 


America Mrs.  Claud  L.  Clark 

Brtttania Mrs.  Frank  Zuber 

Franci Mrs.  Paul  Hunt 


Chinese Mrs.  John  Maj-hall 

Mrs.  John  Radar 
Miss  Agnes  CuUen 
Miss  Florence  Schott 
Miss  Virginia  Rodeman 
Miss  Gladys  Schott 


EPISODE  IX 


Marshaling  of  the  Hosts  of  Democracy 


Serbia. 


Director,  Mrs.  Winifred  Guenther 
.  Mr.  Percy  Steppleman  Belgian  Women  . 


Standard  Bearer  ....  Mr.  Leonard  Hampton 


RussL-vN  Students. 


Peasants. 


.  Mr.  Clyde  Thomas 
Mr.  Leonard  Shamel 
Mr.  Edward  Petry 
Mr.  Herman  Bosch 
Mr.  Pearl  Smith 
Mr.  George  Diercks 
Dr.  Edward  Mansur 

.  Mr.  Harry  Hodgman 
Mr.  Joe  Osgood 
Mrs.  W.  A.  Dalbneyer 
Mrs.  Vivian  Hayes 
Mrs.  Edward  Petry 
Miss  Florence  Henley 
Miss  Ada  Enloe 
Miss  Esther  Thomas 
Miss  Frances  Oliver 
Miss  Isabel  Wildman 


Bklcixtm Mrs.  L.  S.  Parker 


.  Mrs.  Alan  Gordon 
Mrs.  John  Jobe 
Mrs.  Cletus  Pope 
Mrs.  Wm.  Wildeboor 
Miss  Irene  Richardson 
Miss  Mary  Lee  Paris 
Miss  Camille  Roseen 
Miss  Mable  Collins 


Canada Rev.  A.  Y.  Beattie 

Australia Mr.  Wm.  Hager 

South  Africa Mr.  R.  J.  Morrissey 

India Rev.  Talbot 

Japanese Mrs.  Nolan  Wrightsman 

Miss  Mildred  Coose 
Miss  Mildred  Stadler 
Miss  Martha  Overstreet 


Forty-Eight  States 

Directors,  Mrs.  Earl  Grant,  Mrs.  Roy  Morrow 

Mrs.  F.  D.  Gardner,  Mrs.  Anna  Moore,  Mrs.  Sidney  Moore,  Mrs.  Wm.  Roesen,  Mrs.  Paul  Schmidt, 
Mrs.  C.  C.  Carson,  Mrs.  Claude  Grove,  Mrs.  Fred  Voth,  Mrs.  Jack  Lindley,  Mrs.  Fred  Church,  Mrs.  E.  J. 
Miller,  Mrs.  Wm.  Gundlefinger,  Mrs.  Henry  Andrae,  Mrs.  Otis  Manchester,  Mrs.  S.  A.  Baker,  Mrs.  Willard 
King,  Mrs.  George  Haigh,  Mrs.  Elmer  Watson,  Mrs.  J.  A.  Hill,  Mrs.  Chester  Miller,  Mrs.  I.  T.  Uptegrove, 
Mrs.  Salmon,  Mrs.  Overstreet,  Mrs.  A.  Y.  Beattie,  Mrs.  Carter,  Mrs.  Ed.  Fladd,  Mrs.  Boone.  Miss  Carrie 
Bohn,  Miss  Freda  Knaup,  Miss  Gladys  Wildman,  Miss  Julia  Twccdic,  Miss  Roxic  McCullough,  Miss  Anna 
Ruby  Dillard,  Miss  Edna  Morris,  Miss  Laura  Hocfcr,  Miss  Kcll  Ellis,  Miss  Eugenia  Wyatt,  Miss  Margaret 
Richardson,  Miss  Grace  Clemmons,  Miss  Elaine  Church,  Miss  Pauline  Holtschneider,  Miss  Clara  Holt- 
Bchneider,  Miss  Lydia  Salisch,  Miss  Fay  Oliver,  Miss  Virginia  Fladd. 

America's  War  Contribution 


Director,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Moore 


Surgeons Dr.  Hill 

Dr.  Mc Chester 

Soldiers  and  Marines.  Corporal  Jickey 
Corporal  Lc  Roy 


Red  Cross  Workers. 


Private  Werner 
Sargent  Huff 
Sargent  Moulton 
Mrs.  Sapp 

Director  Mrs.  Monnig 
Mrs.  Williams 
Mrs.  Party 
Mrs.  Boscn 
Mrs.  Raitbcl 
Mrs.  Sono 


Surgical  Dressing 
Workers. 


Canteen  SERvacE. . . 


Junior  Red  Cross.  . 
v.  M.  C.  A.  Workers 
Camp  1'ire  Girls.  . . 
Boy  Scouts 


Home  Guards. 


Mrs.  Stegmcyor 
Mrs.  Corwin 
Mrs.  Ross 
Mrs.  Glover 
Mrs.  Leslie 
Mrs.  Purdue 
Mrs.  Houchin 
Mrs.  Twccdic 
Mrs.  Brandcnberger 
Central  School 

Margaret  Morris 
Commissioner  Gordon 

Darby 
Capt.  Grubcr 


x66 


HISTORICAL   FESTIVAL  AND   PAGEANT    167 


A  NEWSPAPER  NOTICE  FROM 
THE  SAVANNAH  MORN  I  NO 
NEWS.  April  25,  1919. 


COLORFUL   PAGEANT 

Recalls  City  of 

One  Hundred  Years  Ago. 

PROCESSION  of  THE  YEARS 

Tells  of 
Savannah's  Wonderful  Achievements 

and 

PROUD  HISTORY 

Pageant  Written  by  Dr.  TAFT. 


By  JANE  JUDGE. 

Life  in  Savannah  a  hundred  years 
ago  was  very  beautifully  recalled 
yesterday  at  the  historical  pageant 
written  by  Dr.  Linwood  Taft  and 
directed  by  him  and  presented  by  the 
Savannah  Festival  Association. 

Probably  not  even  those  in  charge 
of  the  various  episodes  and  working 
on  the  committees  were  prepared  for 
the  charm  and  beauty  of  the  spec- 
tacle as  it  unfolded  itself,  exquisite 
in  color  and  grouping,  dignified  and 
lovely,  rich  with  tradition  and  his- 
toric interest,  not  without  its  occa- 
sional enlivening  touch  of  humor  and 
accompanied  by  the  sweet  music  of 
string  and  wind  instruments  and  the 
clear  note  of  bugle  calls. 

Thousands  of  people  were  on  the 
streets  around  the  historic  Chatham 
Academy,  now  the  High  School,  and 
in  front  of  the  Independent  Presby- 
terian Church  on  Oglethorpe  Avenue 
and  in  the  neighboring  streets  when 
the  procession  led  by  the  Spirit  of 
Savannah  left  the  Drayton  Street 
entrance  promptly  at  4:30  o'clock 
and  passing  around  Hull  Street  and 
down  Bull  entered  the  green  at  Ogle- 
thorpe Avenue.  Here  walking  over 
the  grass  and  between  the  rows  of 
trees  that  border  the  park  they  were 
the  most  beautiful  picture.  The 
symbolic  figures  of  Savannah  and 
the  Savannah  Kiver  and  attendant 
nymphs  and  dryads  in  flowing  dra- 

?eries  of  many  colors  the  "Hundred 
ears"  grouped  by  decades  wearing 


robes  of  different  colors  and  carrying 
symbols  of  the  art  or  industry  that 
distinguished  them  and  the  hundred 
of  characters  of  a  century  ago  in 
quaint  old  fashioned  dress  made  a 
marvelous  procession  as  they  moved 
over  the  green  in  the  afternoon  sun- 
light with  flickering  shadows  from 
the  trees  falling  upon  them  and 
vagrant  breezes  playing  about  them. 
It  was  like  a  dream  story  come  true 
people  felt,  strange  and  beautiful  and 
wholly  charming. 

Beautiful  though  the  outdoor  pro- 
cession was  it  hardly  prepared  people 
for  the  beauty  of  the  indoor  spectacle 
which  moved  swiftly  from  scene  to 
scene  with  always  the  lovely  back- 
ground of  the  symbolic  figures 
grouped  on  the  stage. 

The  charming  lines  of  Dr.  Taft's 
pageant  which  wove  all  the  scenes 
together  gave  such  prologue  as  was 
necessary  to  gather  up  all  that  was  to 
come,  and  before  the  episodes  the 
heralds  stationed  at  each  side  of  the 
stage  announced  the  approaching 
scene  and  bugles  in  different  parts  of 
the  house  sounded  calls  and  were 
answered  by  other  buglers. 

The  whole  house  broke  into  spon- 
taneous applause  as  the  lovely 
Spirit  of  Savannah  with  attendant 
maidens,  heralds  and  buglers  passed 
through  the  audience  when  the  pag- 
eant opened,  ascended  the  stage  and 
summoned  the  beautiful  Spirit  of  the 
Savannah  River  with  nymphs  of  the 
forest  and  the  flood. 

Had  the  pageant  lacked  anj'thing 
of  beauty,  chgnity  or  grace  the  Proces- 
sion of  the  Years  1819-1919  would 
have  been  enough  to  make  it  quite 
perfect. 

Poetically  conceived  this  long  pro- 
cession ending  across  the  stage  at 
the  beginning  of  the"  Hundred  Years  " 
hand  in  hand  was  like  the  unfolding 
of  all  the  poetry  and  tradition  the 
century  held  and,  reappearing  again 
at  the  end  of  the  pageant  decade  by 
decade  each  decade  with  its  symbol 
of  accomplishment  the  "Hundred 
Years"  gave  beauty  to  the  story. 
The  ten  earliest  years  clad  in  robes 
of  purple  and  representing  the  decade 
when  the  episodes  of  the  pageant 
took  place  occupied  seats  on  the  dais 
at  each  side  of  Savannah  at  whose 
feet  rested  the  Spirit  of  the  River  and 
the  nymphs  and  dryads.    At  each 


i68        THE  TECHNIQUE  OF   PAGEANTRY 


side  of  the  Spirit  of  Savannah  a 
herald  stood  to  sound  the  bugle  calls 
and  the  two  heralds  who  announced 
the  episodes  stood  at  the  corners  of 
the  stage  the  others  standing  at  the 
entrances  of  the  auditorium.  This 
was  the  lovely  picture  which  made 
the  background  for  all  the  dramatic 
episodes:  the  visit  of  Lady  Hunting- 
don to  Bethesda,  the  Savannah 
Female  Orphanage  first  board  of 
"lad}'  directors,"  the  visit  of  Presi- 
dent Monroe,  the  opening  of  the 
Savannah  Theatre,  the  opening  of 
Chatham  Academy,  Mr.  Goodman's 
Dancing  School  and  the  Visit  of 
Lafayette. 

When  the  end  of  the  pageant  came 
and  before  the  epilogue  was  spoken 


the  ten  years  of  the  first  decade  of 
the  century  stepped  down  from  the 
dais  and  recalling  the  next  decade 
passed  off  the  stage.  Decade  by 
decade  the  years  entered  bearing 
their  gifts  to  Savannah,  each  decade 
in  robes  of  different  color,  and  as  they 
entered  music  suited  to  the  spirit 
they  expressed  was  beautifully  played 
by  the  orchestra.  The  last  ten  years 
represented  the  years  of  war  and  the 
new  year  of  peace  and  nine  of  them 
were  clad  in  red  each  child  in  the 
group  carrying  an  American  flag. 
Little  Ehzabeth  Pettus  carrying  an 
olive  branch  represented  the  peace 
year  1919  with  its  hope  and  promise. 
As  she  stood  alone  beside  the  Spirit 
of  Savannah  the  Epilogue  was  spoken. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  AT  LOS  ANGELES 

THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
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